Secret
by WayfareAngel
Summary: Secret is an HOTU fanfic that tells the story of a sorcerer named Lilith and her smart mouthed pseudo-dragon familliar, Illa. If you're tired of self-confident main characters who feel at home in battle, then this is the story for you.
1. Prelude

**Prelude **

_She drifted... ___

_No place held her, no place felt like home. She'd tried to stay still, but she never could linger for long. She would slip away as if she never existed, like a dream or a snow fall that melts before it reaches the ground. All that would remain of her visits would be the memory of the odd woman dressed in blue with a dragon around her neck, and eye's the color of moonlight. ___

_She would come by night, she would leave by night. It seemed to become her trademark. She felt more at home amidst the silver glow of the stars and the shadow of night than the glaring, harsh light of day. The night gave her a glimpse of the silence and peace she so craved. The dark held her in its warm embrace and protected her from her own fears and insecurities; the light of day only exposed them. ___

_The Shadow Realm had changed her, this was true. She held herself with sureness now that hadn't been there before, and her quiet presence commanded a certain amount of attention. She spoke rarely, but gave the impression that she was always watching and listening to the people around her. Some things never changed, though. She felt separate from the world, like she didn't belong anywhere. She felt like a trespasser. Someone stuck on the outside, looking in, who was trying to grab hold of something she had no right to have. ___

_It had been three years since she first left Master Drogan's school, and some things just never changed. ___

_They called her a hero, even if she wasn't sure she was one. She certainly didn't feel like a hero; most of the time she was just making things up as she went along, and hoping for the best. If news reached her of danger, or of someone who needed help, she would try to find a way to solve the problem, but then she would be gone. She didn't want thanks, she didn't want compensation. She wanted to help people, keep them safe, but she wanted to be forgotten when she was gone. Things were simpler that way, though she wasn't sure why. ___

_Then she heard the cry for help from Waterdeep, and she could not refuse. She hadn't even noticed the monetary reward that was being offered, all she heard was that Waterdeep was burning and help was needed. How could she say 'no' when asked for help? ___

_Of course, some idea's don't seem like such good ones in retrospect, and a situation that in the beginning merely seemed daunting quickly turned into one that seemed impossible. ___

_Sometimes she wished she wasn't such a do-gooder..._


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Nathyrra...?" 

The cool feel of the smooth marble beneath her cheek did something to soothe the vicious pain that was tearing at her head. Halaster's teleportation spell hadn't agreed with the sorcerer, and she found herself feeling something like seasickness, collapsed on the floor in some unknown location. How she got herself into these situations was a mystery to her, but some how it seemed inevitable that she would end up here, wherever she was.

"Illa...? Deekin...?" She said the names of her other companions in hopes that they would answer. She pushed herself up slowly, her head screaming in protest, and her eyes fluttered open. The sorcerer gave a small squeak at the sight that greeted her. Several drow guards had her surrounded, glaring down at her with swords drawn. She quickly glanced about as she tried to spot her staff and realized it had rolled away. She swallowed nervously, trying to suppress a feeling of panic, and gently put her hands up where the guards could see them. "Um... hello." She started slowly. "I am Lilith Ashall... and those are some very pointy swords you have there." 

"Out of my way, you moronic bipeds!" Illa's voice came sharply, and Lilith spotted her pseudo-dragon familiar weaving about the feet of the drow guards, who were forced to dance about as to not trip on him. Once Illa reached Lilith, he promptly crawled up onto her chest and spread his wings protectively in a clear sign that if they wanted to hurt her, they had to go through him. "Some fine mess you've gotten us into this time..." The familiar growled to the sorcerer. "Nathyrra, if you're done with the girl talk over there, little help!"

Lilith hugged the pseudo-dragon tightly, her arms trembling, and glanced past the guards to spot Nathyrra deep in conversation with beautiful drow woman dressed all in white. Nathyrra's ears perked when she heard Illa's voice, though, and she turned to the guards with a scowl.

"Oh let her up!" Nathyrra commanded fiercely as she elbowed her way past the guards. "She's with me, leave her alone." The guards hesitated, but put their weapons away and back moved back. Nathyrra offered Lilith a slight apologetic smile and a shrug, which Lilith couldn't help but return, and offered her hand to help her up. 

"Nice people." Lilith breathed as she stood and dusted herself off, a feeling of immense relief settling over her. Illa quickly moved to Lilith's shoulders, vigilantly watching the room and daring anyone to approach again with weapons drawn. "Deekin?" Lilith glanced around for the kobold bard, who quickly appeared by her side. 

"Here, Boss!" He chirped. In his hands he held her staff. The staff itself was an elegant, simplistic piece of smooth, white wood that was topped with an ornate carving of a tidal wave of snow engulfing an azure orb made of some gem resembling sapphire.

The staff had been a gift to her from some time ago, and she was loathed to be without it. It simply belonged with her; there was no other way to explain her attachment to it.

Deekin now held the staff up to her, grinning ear to ear. "Deekin be thinking you be wanting this back."

"Thank you, dear heart." Lilith said, taking the staff from him and bending to kiss the kobold on the forehead. "Sometimes I wonder how I manage when you're gone." She straightened, placing a hand on Deekin's head affectionately and smiling. She'd missed the kobold in his absence. Besides Illa, he was the only friend she had. 

Something about that thought made Lilith sad.

"Come on, mage. There's someone you have to meet." Nathyrra's voice brought Lilith back to reality, as well as the fact that the drow had taken hold of her sleeve and was now pulling her forward towards the beautiful priestess. Lilith followed, startled and offering no resistance, her eyes slowly drawn to the priestess. The priestess was waiting patiently, observing Lilith with a kind and contemplative smile.

The man to her right, though, the one who had his impossibly blue, cold eye's leveled on Lilith, did not look as welcoming. In fact, he looked down right dangerous. He scared Lilith a little. The weapons, the horns, the tail, or even the sheer size of him wasn't what scared her, though. True, he was an imposing figure the likes of which she had never seen before, but it was something much smaller that made her flinch back. It was his eyes that unsettled her. His gaze was too intense. It was like he could see right through someone with those eye's of his...

"It is wonderful to finally meet you face to face, Lilith Ashall." The priestesses caught Lilith off guard, and made her jump a little. The sorcerer quickly moved and hid behind Nathyrra, startled and suddenly very shy. The priestess gave a small, gentle laugh, and Nathyrra gave a sigh of exasperation.

"Lilith, this is The Seer." Nathyrra said, pushing Lilith in front of her.

Lilith waved a little and gave a nervous smile. "It is... an absolute pleasure to meet you, milady Seer." Lilith said, quelling her apprehension and some how managing to curtsy. She felt a little ashamed, to tell the truth. The immaculate woman before her was very clean and was obviously very powerful, with a grace and elegance about her that couldn't be put to words. Lilith stood before her in blood and dirt stained blue robes, her hair coming out of its bun and her skin marked with sweat and grime. The sorcerer figured she should have been worried about more important things, but the gnawing need to be clean and to make a good first impression was never far from her mind.

"She's always this skittish, don't take it personally." Illa drawled easily. Nathyrra snorted in laughter, but Lilith gently smacked the dragon on the head and glared at him. The Seer offered a reassuring smile, though, and Lilith felt her nerves ease a little.

"Please, we have much to discuss." The Seer said. "I wish that we had met under more pleasant circumstances, but it would seem fate is not that kind. These are dire times, indeed." The Seer spoke with a hushed voice, the importance of her words carrying in the tone.

"Nathyrra tells me that you require my aid." Lilith's voice took on the smooth, easy sound that hid whatever nervous feeling lurked within her. It was a trick she had acquired at some point over her travels that she used when she had to appear more confident than she felt. "I know little of your current situation, only that lives are at stake and that, to the best of my judgment, you are good people. I am not sure that I can be of much use to you, but whatever help you require of me I will gladly supply."

"We're just good like that." Illa chirped.

The Seer looked a little relieved after Lilith spoke, but the man to her right had snorted in obvious disbelief and narrowed his eyes at the sorcerer as if trying to analyze her. Lilith did her best not to look at The Seer's guard. His gaze sent chills down her spine and it was all she could do to keep herself from running and hiding.

"That is very good to hear, Lilith Ashall. Truth be told, I had not expected you to be so accommodating." The Seer said, visibly relaxing and offering the sorcerer a small smile. "It seems, my friend, that you are the answer to our prayers. Our fate lies in your hands."

Outwardly, Lilith's reaction to these words was a gentle, questioning, arch of an eyebrow. Inwardly, Lilith was shocked and did not like the sound of those words. She wasn't sure what exactly The Seer meant, but Lilith had a feeling that it was nothing good. Before the sorcerer had a chance to reply, however, the man at The Seer's right bent close to the drow woman's ear and began to voice his objections. 

"Please, Seer, I beg you to reconsider." He whispered quickly in The Seer's ear. "We know nothing about her! She could be a--" 

"If you know nothing about me, then rectify the situation." Lilith cut the strange man off, her gaze leveling on him, showing no hint of the apprehension she felt crawling in her stomach when she spoke the words. She had no idea why she had spoken. Something about the man's suspicions grated Lilith the wrong way. She meant no harm. Why he thought she might was beyond her. She wouldn't have blamed him if he suggested that she would get them all killed, but it didn't seem his objection would be headed in that direction. The sorcerer kept her voice level, and polite. She might not have liked his attitude, but she didn't want him to think she was challenging him. "Ask a question."

Lilith immediately regretted saying anything at all, for the man met her gaze and it took all her willpower not to take a step back. He straightened and walked over to her, stopping just in front of her and refusing to break eye contact, like he was trying to stare her down. His face was as cold and emotionless as the icy blue eyes that seemed to be boring into her own, trying to locate some hint of a weakness or flaw in her defenses or being. She had to look up to him to keep his gaze, as she just barely came up to where his heart must have been under his armor.

Illa glared up at the man, but Lilith set a hand gently on her familiar's tail to calm him. The man had a large flail at his side that Lilith warranted he knew how to use, and could likely use it to kill both her and her familiar very quickly.

"Ask a question?" The strange man repeated, his tail snapping the air in annoyance. "What guarantee would I have that any question I asked would be answered truthfully, pray tell?" The man's tone was careful and calculating, as intent on not giving anything away as Lilith was.

"Valen!" Nathyrra hissed at the man, taking a step towards Lilith and glaring at the man dangerously. Lilith looked to the drow, though, and shook her head, then looked back to the man.

Valen. So he had a name.

"Milord, with all do respect, whether or not you believe I tell the truth is irrelevant." Lilith said easily. Valen looked like he was going to speak again, but she kept going and didn't give him a chance to interject. "The simple fact of the matter is that you will make a choice to believe me or to not believe me. Judging by your words and actions since I've arrived, I would say that for whatever reason, you will choose not to believe me." Lilith spoke in a calm, pleasant voice, as if she was discussing the weather with a casual acquaintance. Yes, she could pretend to be calm. So long as she denied whatever fear she felt, the fear wasn't real. "This brings us to the fact that I would in fact answer truthfully if you asked me a question, and answer it to the best of my ability." 

"Which in turn brings us to the fact that no matter what you say, I won't believe you." Valen said easily, jumping ahead to her next point. "So following your logic, anything you say is also irrelevant."

"Exactly." Lilith said, a small smile gracing her lips. "However, the fact still remains that I tell the truth, and you choose not to believe. So, I suppose, until you chose to believe otherwise, we are at a stand still."

Valen watched Lilith for a long moment before snorting and turning away from the sorcerer, and returning to The Seer's side.

"Forgive me, Seer, but I do not see how you can expect us to put our faith in one little girl." Valen said with renewed vehemence.

"I'm not that short." Lilith said, looking herself over. "Am I?" 

Illa sighed. "Sweetheart, that's not what he meant."

"Oh." Lilith said with a blink. "Well I honestly don't see the problem. I said I would help in anyway I could, what more do I have to offer?"

"For all we know you could be here to kill us all. Forgive me if I do not blindly trust someone who may very well be the death of us all." There had been an underlying tone in Valen's words that caused Lilith to shiver and made her hair stand on end. It was almost like ferocity mixed with a warning and something else that she couldn't quite place.

Illa burst out laughing, though. "You think... you think LILITH could kill you all?" There was several minutes of reptilian laughter, and Lilith felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment. The sorcerer glanced up and upon noticing the snarl starting to build on Valen's face she did what she could to try and silence her familiar. Of course, Lilith never was any good at getting Illa to shut up. "Look here, Betty." Illa said, ignoring the dangerous look on Valen's face. "Lilith is a bunny rabbit."

"Am not." The aasimar muttered in protest.

Illa ignored her. "She's cute, she's fluffy, and she twitches if you get too close to her. The chances of her killing you and your little friends are about the same as your chances of developing an actual personality."

"Illa!" Lilith stared at her familiar in disbelief and mortification, then took a step back when she saw Valen's eye's flash red. Before he could say anything in rebuttal, though, The Seer brought her hands up.

"That will be quite enough." She said, turning her gaze to each of them in turn. "We have much to discuss and very little time to discuss it all in." Valen restrained himself, but his gaze hardened and he set his jaw defiantly.

"Very well. But know that I do not trust this woman, or her intentions." He said stiffly.

"Amen." Lilith shrugged. "You are entitled to your opinion. Now, Lady Seer, what was it you needed to speak to me about?"

´ 

Valen couldn't believe his ears.

"She's in the kitchen?" Valen repeated the words in disbelief. The woman known as Lilith had disappeared shortly after her discussion with The Seer, and Valen wasn't fond of the idea of her running around the camp unchecked. Finally he'd had to ask Nathyrra where the sorcerer had run off to, but hadn't expected the answer he had gotten.

"Yeah." Nathyrra said with a shrug. "She said something about desperately needing a bath, and preparing travel rations, then asked if there was a kitchen she could use. I told her she could use the one in the public houses." The drow woman turned to Valen and she set her hands on her hips, arched a brow at him and smirked a little. "You think she's poisoning our food supply, don't you?" The tiefling scowled. The thought had crossed his mind, but he wasn't about to give the drow the satisfaction of knowing that.

"I simply think this only confirms what I've been saying." He spat. "She's just some little girl who's stumbled into something she can't handle, assuming she's not a spy for the Valsharess." 

"You're just mad because she won't argue with you, and her familiar refuses to refer to you with male pronouns." Nathyrra said, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "Take it as a compliment. It means you're almost as good as a woman."

"That has nothing to do with anything." Valen protested. "Even if she is the savior that The Seer foresaw, she is no warrior. You saw her! She was wearing make-up, for hells sake, and her hair was shiny. She obviously spends more time on her appearance than in battle." 

Nathyrra gave a mocking, scandalous look. "Why Valen! I had no idea you had taken such close note of her appearance. For shame. That was our savior you were ogling."

Valen gave a start, not expecting her response. "That's not what I meant, and you know it!" The tiefling snapped, though a slight flush filled his face despite himself.

"I know, but you still noticed." Nathyrra pointed out. She took on a more serious tone now, observing Valen for a long moment before speaking again. "You're right, though. She isn't a warrior. Lilith is a mage, and a damn good one from what I've seen. She saved my hide a couple times up there, and treated me with dignity and respect when I first came to offer her help." She said easily. 

"That doesn't mean anything, though." Valen reasoned. "She could have just been polite to you so you would get her into the camp and closer to The Seer. Did you stop to consider that?" Valen shook his head, frowning in thought. "The fact that she's a mage doesn't make the situation any better, especially if she's as powerful as you say. Think about the destruction she could bring to the camp if she wanted to." That had been one of the reasons why Valen didn't want the sorcerer left alone. Mages in general typically couldn't be trusted, in his experience, and when left to their own devices always caused more trouble than they were worth.

"But that's the thing of it, tiefling, she DOESN'T want to." Nathyrra pointed out. "Whatever destructive power she wields, she seems reluctant to use. Death really seems to agitate her. She doesn't like killing, and had a real problem with having to fight the Valsharess' forces that greeted us before we arrived back in camp." Valen looked like he was about to speak, but Nathyrra anticipated his response and cut him off. "No, that doesn't mean she's working for the Valsharess. If she was that evil, she'd of had no problem destroying those people."

"She could have just been acting." Valen sighed in exasperation. Was he the only one paying attention? "You live in the Underdark, Nathyrra. I shouldn't have to remind you that the most innocent looking of creatures can often be filled with deadly poison." 

"Poison that she could now be using to taint our food supply." The drow said with a wicked smirk.

"Don't even joke about that!" Valen growled. "We know nothing about her. For all we know, she COULD be poisoning our food while we sit idly by."

"Or she could be preparing travel rations like she said she would be." Nathyrra countered. "If you're so upset about not knowing anything about her, then take her up on her offer. Ask a question." 

"She would lie."

"She said she wouldn't."

"And what exactly would keep her from breaking her word?" Valen asked, raising a brow.

Nathyrra gave a wide grin. "Leap of faith." She said, spreading her arms. "Talk to the woman, tiefling! You may just find that you like her." The drow turned and left then, leaving Valen with his thoughts, scattered and ominous as they were.

´ 

The kitchen was filled with a rich, wonderful smell and the sound of bubbling soup. Illa was sprawled out on a counter, enjoying the warmth and a chance to rest, while Deekin was huddled under a table going over his notes and muttering to himself under her breath. 

Lilith, who by this time had bathed and now wore her hair wet and in a loose waist length braid, had donned an apron and was working on kneading a good sized bit of dough, folding grains and other things into it. She was singing pleasantly under her breath, occasionally reaching over to stir the soup. The sorcerer was enjoying the moment, knowing that while she was in the kitchen she was in control and could handle anything that happened. Outside the kitchen, with the task The Seer had set before her, she wasn't so sure of things...

Of course, the peace and quiet of the kitchen was all but ruined then the door swung open and Valen strode in.

"Betty!" Illa cheered when the tiefling entered, rolling onto his back and grinning fiendishly at him. "So good of you to join us. Are you done being morbid and unpleasant for the day?"

"Watch your tongue, vermin." Valen snarled at the pseudo-dragon, sending him a glare that would have made grown men tremble. If he didn't trust the sorcerer, then it was no secret that he absolutely despised the familiar.

"Illa, don't taunt the man who looks like he could snap us in half." Lilith chided Illa with a sigh, shaking her head. The last thing she needed was to police a fight between the man and the dragon. "Wonderful to see you again, Valen. Do me a favor and taste the soup, tell me if you think it's missing anything. Illa always says my cooking is too bland, and Deekin always says it's perfect. I need an honest opinion." She said, turning back to her dough and kneading it again. So long as she didn't look right at Valen, she seemed to be able to quell whatever nerves she felt.

"What exactly are you doing?" Valen asked, ignoring her request and observing her carefully. Lilith turned and looked in Valen's general direction, and the tiefling noticed two things. The first was the questioning look in her large, pale silver eyes, and the second was that she had a bit of flour smudged across her cheek. He had to admit, she looked remarkably innocent and not at all like a killer or a spy. She wasn't going to win him over that easily, though. Valen knew better than to judge based solely on appearance. 

"Lamentations, should I not be here?" Lilith asked with a slight frown, suddenly unsure of herself. "Nathyrra said it would be okay if I used the kitchen. Did she change her mind? Do you want me to leave?"

Valen narrowed his eyes at Lilith, carefully scrutinizing her. No one was this nice or polite, not without a reason or a hidden agenda.

"No." Valen said, shaking his head. "What I meant was what are you doing here, in the kitchen, when there's work to be done if we want to be able to defend ourselves from the Valsharess' forces?"

"Oh." Lilith blinked, turning back to the dough and rolling parts of it into small balls. "Well, my companions and I don't leave until tomorrow morning. We'll need travel rations, and I refuse to eat dried food." She said and shuddered. "No. I have a special broth and sweet roll recipe that will keep for ages and tastes much better."

"That be why Deekin likes traveling with the boss." The kobold said, not looking up from his notes. "Boss' cooking be MUCH better than Deekin's."

"Hmm... methinks that Betty over here is checking up on us." Illa said, looking to Valen with a wide grin. The tiefling's skills in intimidation were wasted on the smug reptile, which only made Valen hate him more.

"I have better things to do than watch you lie around all day." Valen drawled easily, refusing to let the dragon bait him into losing his temper.

"Oh sweet mitten strings! You ARE checking up on us." Illa said, cackling and rolling about on the counter. Of course, Illa forgot how narrow the counter was and fell to the ground with a loud thud, giving a small cry. Valen couldn't help but give a satisfied smirk. 

"See what happens when you're a jerk?" Lilith asked, going over to Illa and looking down to him with her hands on her hips.

"It was so worth it..." Illa said, still laughing a little, as he clawed his way up to the counter again.

Lilith shook her head, and then turned to Valen. "Why are you checking up on me?" She asked, raising a brow at the tiefling. "You're rather important around here, why are you bothering yourself over me?" 

"Simply put, I don't trust you." Valen said.

"Why?" Lilith asked, raising a brow in confusion. "I trust you."

Valen snorted, rolling his eyes. "Of course you do." He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. This woman was so sugar coated it was amazing she wasn't giving the people around her tooth aches.

Lilith gave a deep hum of thought, crossing her arms and sighing. The man was a brick wall, that much was certain. Still, there had to be something she could do to set him at least a little at ease. Truth be told, the sorcerer wasn't sure why she cared what he thought, but she chalked it up to her insentient need to be liked and accepted by everyone.

Finally Lilith nodded, coming to a conclusion she thought would benefit them both.

"Well then, why don't you come with us?" Lilith proposed.

Valen arched a brow at Lilith. "You cannot be serious." He said. "Yes, that's a wonderful idea. I'll leave The Seer unprotected so you can send word to The Valsharess that she's vulnerable and have her assassinated."

Lilith took a deep breath, closing her eyes and twitching a little. Well, it seemed Valen was a brick wall AND incredibly frustrating. It took a few moments before she collected herself enough to speak to Valen without snapping. Something told her that talking to the weapons-master on a regular basis was going to be rather taxing. 

"Very well, I'll spell things out for you." The sorcerer said with a sigh. "I have nothing to hide from you, and if you come with my friends and I you can see that for yourself. Think of it as a tactical opportunity. You can also use our time traveling together to discover my weaknesses and what exactly I'm capable of. You have been saying you don't like the fact that you know nothing about me, this is your chance to fix that." Lilith explained with a gentle wave of her hand. "I was going to ask Nathyrra to come along, as wandering about blind in the Underdark doesn't seem like a good idea, but you seem a touch more paranoid than her."

"I am not paranoid." Valen growled. She made a lot of sense though, and her argument was a good one. Not that he was prepared to admit that to her. Just because she could make a logical argument didn't mean it wasn't just a front for something more sinister.

"Look, the fact of the matter is, Milord, that it would be irresponsible to try and dissuade you from your way of thinking, no matter how much it annoys me." Lilith said, going back over to the dough and placing the rolls in the fire. "I think your Lady Seer is an absolutely wonderful woman, and it's good that she has someone as skeptical as you to protect her. You're obviously very dedicated to her and her cause, and for that I respect you. So stop being so negative and give me a chance to prove I mean to help." Lilith turned back to Valen now, arms crossed and her posture strong, though she still refused to look directly at him.

Valen clenched his jaw, watching her intently and narrowing his eyes on her. She was rationalizing things far too well, and she was much too polite for his liking. The sorcerer had to be up to something. No one was this nice or understanding. It just wasn't possible for someone who wasn't The Seer.

"No matter how annoying you find me, I find you to be tenfold." He started slowly, a low growl building in the back of his throat. The tiefling took a moment to collect himself before continuing, his gaze not leaving her. "However, I will... consider your offer." He said curtly, turning to the door now to leave. Valen paused, though, looking over his shoulder at the sorcerer. "I still do not trust you, and know that I am watching you."

The door slammed and the weapons-master was gone.

Lilith took a deep, shuddering breath and held onto the counter for support as the nerves she had been suppressing flooded freely through her. 

Now why in the hells did she go and do that? The man scared the living daylights out of her. Why did she have to invite him to come along? Lilith tried to sort out her thoughts, turning back to the soup and sighing. Some times she could be such an idiot.

"I like him." Illa said from somewhere behind her. "He's got spunk."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"So I thought we'd deal with the illithids first." Lilith told Valen as they left the gates of the drow camp. She and her companions hadn't been sure if Valen would show up or not, but he miraculously did at the last second. Lilith wasn't sure if she was happy about this or not. She'd spent the last half hour since they'd started walking chewing on one of her fingers and second guessing all of her plans. The tiefling's apparent unfailing surety and confidence seemed to make the sorcerer question herself more than normal. "Unless... unless you don't think that's a good idea."

A noncommittal grunt was Valen's only reply. He'd wanted to snap at her that her second-guessing herself and insecurities would likely get them killed, but had already learned that saying such things would only hurt the sorcerer's feelings, and give her loud mouthed familiar a reason to make some sarcastic comment. Valen was fairly certain that the sugar coated rabbit of a sorcerer wouldn't survive a day in the Underdark alone. It was one of the reasons he'd finally decided to come along.

"Talkative little lady, isn't she?" Illa yawned. Once again he was curled up around Lilith's shoulders. Valen took some comfort in the knowledge that Lilith assured the dragon would sleep most of the trip.

Lilith made no reply to Illa, and for a few minutes the only sounds that could be heard were the group's steady foot falls and Deekin's frantic scribbling. It wasn't long, however, before the kobold's writing stopped, and he rushed ahead to Valen's side.

"Deekin gots question for Valen!" Deekin called up to the teifling.

Valen ignored Deekin. Maybe if he didn't reply, the kobold would go away and leave him alone.

No such luck.

"Whys you got tail and horn thingies?" Deekin asked Valen, cocking his head to one side. "Deekin needs to know for book."

Valen gave an exasperated sigh. It was a question he had heard many times before, and one he never relished. It weighed on him like an over stuffed pack, and the weight only seemed to get heavier when he noticed the sorcerer glance at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I have horns and a tail because I'm a tiefling." Valen said as casually as possible. Though Valen appeared to be watching the road ahead, he was carefully paying attention to the reactions of those around him. It would not be good if the sorcerer and her companions suddenly decided he was a risk they'd rather not take.

Valen carefully moved a hand to the hilt of his flail.

"What that mean?" Deekin asked.

"It means that Lord Shadowbreath is part demon." Lilith replied before Valen could answer. Well, that certainly explained a lot. Lilith had known what a tiefling was, but she couldn't remember ever meeting one. She had had her suspicions, but if there was one thing her time spent studying magic had taught her it was that you never made assumptions.

"Ooh!" Deekin said, nodding in comprehension. "So he be like the opposite of you, Boss?"

Valen's brows rose and he looked over to Lilith. She had had no visible response to the news that he was part demon, but the kobold's comment had caused her to flinch. So there was more to the girl than met the eye. Valen had thought there was something off about Lilith, but had been unable to put his finger on it just.

"Deekin, hush... please." Lilith whispered almost desperately. Lilith didn't like talking about the fact that she was celestial, and she really didn't like when people found out what she was. Reactions to the news were rarely friendly...

"Something to hide, sorcerer?" Valen asked coolly, eying Lilith with a mix of distrust and disdain.

"No... not really." Lilith muttered, her eyes locked on her feet, one hand tightening its grip on her staff while the other knitted in the skirts of her robes. "It's just... well... I'm kind of an aasimar." Valen had made no response, and just seemed to be watching Lilith. She was already feeling nervous, and the feeling only intensified now. "Well, that is, we're fairly sure that it's diluted. I mean, I... I don't exactly look like a celestial... and I didn't mean to sneak around about it... it's just..." Lilith trailed off, giving a small whimper.

Valen just watched Lilith. He should have figured out sooner that she was an aasimar. She did seem to have a sort of aura about her, and she moved with a grace that was almost unnatural. That wasn't what had him thinking right now, though. Something didn't fit in here.

"It's just what?" Valen said impatiently. "You're an aasimar. You're a good omen and welcome everywhere, save where evil dwells. What have you got to be upset about?" He demanded in a low growl. He had felt a surge of anger when he saw how upset she was about her heritage being pulled out into the open. She was descended from angels. What did she know of hate and prejudice?

Lilith stared at him, blinking, for a moment. "Are you nuts?" She asked in sheer surprise. Was he being serious? Had he actually just asked that? Maybe the weapons-master wasn't as smart as she had thought. "First of all, my heritage isn't out on my sleeve like yours is. Do you have any idea how much it upsets people when they finally find out what I am?" She said. Lilith gave a sigh and shook her head. Lord... she never thought she'd have to explain this to anyone. "They don't like that someone like me can walk around in their midst unknown. Angel's are supposed to be these powerful creatures that can heal the sick and raise the dead. People either get mad right away, or get mad when they find out I can't do any of those things. I've been run out of town more than once, let me tell you." Lilith snorted in annoyance.

Valen listened quietly. It hadn't occurred to him that aasimar's faced any kind of fear or prejudice, but thinking about it now, it only made sense. They too, after all, were outsiders in this world. People feared what they didn't understand, and most people didn't understand planars.

Valen couldn't help but smile just a little.

Lilith watched Valen with interest, not sure what to make of what just occurred.

"So... we don't have a problem, do we?" The aasimar asked quietly, fidgeting a little and looking away from the teifling.

Valen shrugged. "Do you have a problem with the fact that I'm part demon?" He countered.

"No. Why would I?" Lilith asked with a slight smile. "It's not like you're going to kill us in our sleep and drink our blood."

A chill ran down Valen's spine. "If I lose control of my demonic side, that situation is entirely possible." He drawled easily, trying not to let show how much that thought disturbed him.

Lilith just shook her head. "No it isn't."

"Yes. Yes it is." Valen growled, eying the woman in annoyance.

"No. It isn't." Lilith said again. "Oh, the thing that would commit the act would look, smell, and sound like you. But it wouldn't BE you. It'd be something different." Lilith pointed out, as if this was all perfectly obvious.

Valen stared at Lilith, mouth open a little and struggling for a response. Some cutting sarcastic remark, or some bitingly cruel phrase. Nothing came, though, and he found himself watching the celestial as she walked ahead.

"Wow, Boss! This make good chapter in story." Deekin cheered as he caught up with Lilith.

"Ask Valen's permission to put all this in first, Deekin. It might be best not to put this part in your book at all." Lilith pointed out. "Privacy reasons."

"Right, Boss!" Deekin said with a grin.

Valen kept quiet for a good while after their conversation, occasionally listening in to Deekin and Lilith chat.

No one had ever explained things to him like that before, and he couldn't help but wonder if the aasimar had been correct in what she had said. He wasn't sure what he thought about her words, but how she had said them had struck him just as hard. There had been no hate or fear when she spoke, and she truly seemed to believe he would cause her no harm. It was a very unusual experience.

Perhaps she hadn't been lying when she said she trusted him.

´ 

The first time Valen saw Lilith fight was when they encountered the group of duergar in front of Zor'vak Mur.

The group of slavers had accosted them, assuming they had come to the illithid settlement to trade. Lilith had quickly corrected them on this, and though her demeanor was calm and polite, Valen couldn't help but note the slight disgust in her voice when she spoke to the slavers.

The duergar had laughed at Lilith. Valen took a step closer to the aasimar, one hand on the hilt of his flail.

"Well then," The duergar leader had said. "Looks like we have a chance to pick up some more merchandise." A lecherous smirk spread over his face as his eyes lingered on Lilith's body. "Have to envy the lucky bastard that ends up buying this one."

"I say we sell the others with her and keep the snooty bitch for ourselves." One of the other duergar chimed in. "Look at those hips! We could have a lot of fun taking her down a few pegs."

A chorus of laughter sounded. Much to Valen's surprise, Lilith made no reply to the duergar. In fact, she maintained her quiet dignity and polite countenance. From anyone in the same situation, he'd have expected an indignant outburst. It was almost as if the woman saw no need to reply.

The grinding of Valen's teeth was audible as a few more comments about the aasimar's breasts and the shape of her ass were made. Finally he decided enough was enough, and stepped forward, grabbing Lilith by the arm and moving her behind him. He had been vaguely aware of her looking at him in surprise, though she offered no resistance. 

Threats were exchanged, and Valen had to use every bit of self control he had to keep himself from drowning in the wave of fury that was bearing down on him. Finally, the duergar attacked and the battle started. 

Nathyrra had been correct in her assessment of Lilith's abilities in battle. Her inhibitions seemed to vanish and she appeared to focus on the battle. The aasimar didn't seem to care for her own safety, and observed her companions conditions more carefully than her own. She had told him she was an evoker, meaning she was an offensive caster in practice.

He hadn't believed her till he saw her fight.

If the duergar teamed up on one of them, or if one of them tried to get a sneak attack in, Lilith quickly struck them down with a spell, or quickly alerted her companions to the eminent danger. She was not a fighter, but she was rather skilled at supporting those who needed it.

"I hate to say it, but I think the world is better off without those duergar." Lilith breathed as she caught her breath when the battle was over.

Deekin dusted himself off, tucking his crossbow away. "Deekin be glad they dead. Deekin not like the way they talk to Boss." The kobold said angrily as he kicked the corpse of one of the duergar.

Illa settled down on Lilith's shoulders. "Did you see Betty go?" The pseudo-dragon said, his tone suggesting he both approved and that he was impressed. "She half tore that lead bastards arm off!" 

"Shut it, you winged rat." Valen snarled, still trying to calm himself from the battle. His rage hadn't subsided just yet, and his eye's were flashing red.

"Are you alright, Valen?" Lilith asked, watching the tiefling with a concerned expression.

"Blood lust. Teifling thing. Just give me a moment." Valen said in a low growl, closing his eyes and trying his best to get control of himself quickly. It always took a few minutes to get control of himself again after battle. He hated it, hated the helpless feeling that one day he might lose himself all together again and become nothing more than a beast.

The tiefling heard Lilith shove Illa from her shoulders, followed by the familiar's loud protests and the gentle sound of Lilith's footsteps approaching him. What happened next, Valen hadn't expected.

Lilith gently, cautiously, laid her hands on Valen's shoulders. "Open your eyes, Valen. Look at me." The aasimar said calmly. Her voice was stern, but gentle. Valen was surprised when he found himself obeying her. He opened his eyes, and found her looking right into his eye's for the first time since she had arrived at the Seer's camp. "Focus on my voice. Take a deep breath. Everything is perfectly fine." 

Valen nodded, taking a deep, shuddering breath. Her voice was almost like liquid honey. Smooth, sweet, and comforting. This obviously wasn't her first time talking someone through a moment of unbridled fury. Valen had to wonder how much more there was about the aasimar that he didn't know. Her offer to answer any questions he posed was starting to grow more and more appealing.

When it seemed Lilith was convinced he had control of himself, she removed her hands from his shoulders and offered him a dazzling little smile that caused a small tingle to run along his skin quickly.

"And thank you for stepping in like that earlier, when our now dead friends started throwing around those comments. No ones ever done anything like that for me before." She said, dropping a small curtsy.

"It just... seemed like the right thing to do." Valen said after clearing his throat, looking away from her.

Lilith just nodded, though, still smiling as she turned away from him and went to take the helmet the lead duergar had bragged about from his corpse. She brushed the bits of shattered skull and scalp from the helmet, cringing just a tad. Valen had not been gentle with his death.

"So this will protect the mind of the person who wears it from the illithids." Lilith muttered as she looked over the piece of equipment. She was quiet now, observing the helmet and apparently deep in thought.

Deekin was the first to break the silence.

"Deekin's mind be safe from squid things?" Deekin asked Lilith, tugging at the skirt of her robes.

Illa snorted. "I wasn't aware you HAD a mind, dear kobold." He drawled. "Besides... our beloved Lilith isn't intending to let us come with her into the settlement." The dragon said coolly, watching Lilith carefully. "Isn't that right?"

Lilith smiled just a tad, not looking away from the helmet. "Bingo." 

"You can't be serious!" Valen said as he looked over to the sorcerer, both startled and surprised. Suddenly he remembered all his suspicions of her and his distrust. "No. There is NO WAY I am letting you walk into an illithid settlement alone."

"Valen, don't be unreasonable." Lilith sighed, shaking her head. 

"Unreasonable? The last thing I'm being is unreasonable." He spat at her. "I barely trust you as it is. Do you really think I'm going to let you walk into the camp of one of the Valsharess' most powerful allies alone?" Valen shook his head defiantly. "No. Not going to happen. I forbid you from doing this."

Illa restrained a laugh. "Watch this, kobold. This is going to go over well." Illa whispered to Deekin.

"What Illa mean?" Deekin whispered back.

"Just watch." Illa replied.

Lilith arched a brow at Valen. "You forbid me?" She asked, cocking her head to one side, smiling just a little.

Valen felt a twinge of anger, and began to growl. "Yes. I forbid you." 

"And there's nothing I can say to get you to change your mind?"

"Not a thing."

Lilith sighed, shaking her head. "So be it. I'm very sorry about this, Valen." She said, raising a hand and making an odd little movement. 

By the time Valen figured out what she was doing, it was too late. His mind went hazy and his body felt very heavy. He was vaguely aware of uttering some swear as his knees buckled and he hit the ground.

A sleep spell. The bitch had hit him with a sleep spell.

Just beautiful.

´ 

Valen groaned and shifted on the cold ground, pushing himself up and slowly opening his eyes.

Someone, most likely Deekin since Lilith did not appear to be back yet, had folded up some clothes and put them under Valen's head while he was sleeping. A small fire had been started, and the kobold was writing feverously near it while Illa appeared to be sleeping.

Valen cursed loudly and shot up as he remembered what had happened. He began to pace about as anger coursed through him. Years spent in the Blood Wars, and a little girl with a low level spell was his downfall!

"How long has she been gone?" Valen demanded in a snarl, his hand on his weapon. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so angry. To think he was actually beginning to like the damn woman! He should have known no one was that nice. He'd doubted, though, just for a second, and now everything the Seer had worked for was in jeopardy. 

Deekin looked up from his writing, but it was Illa who replied.

"Two hours." The dragon yawned, rolling onto his back. "Stop worrying. The kid can handle herself, and she'll be back soon. She won't betray you. It won't even occur to her to betray you. That's not how Lilith operates."

Valen just swore again and kicked savagely at the ground. He didn't like this at all, didn't like the fact that she'd basically made him helpless. There was no way he could go after Lilith. If he had gone in with her, the illithid would have assumed he was her thrall and left him alone. If he went in now, they would attack on site.

There was nothing he could do but sit and wait for the aasimar to return. The thought only made him madder, and he knew his anger would intensify as he waited for Lilith to return.

Valen paced for another two hours, ignoring the reptiles and feeding his anger. By the time the sorcerer got back, his vision was clouded with rage and his eye's were glowing blood red.

"Boss be back!" Deekin had cried, standing up and pointing as Lilith came around the bend. She was just taking off her helmet, her expression neutral and her eye's on the ground.

Valen let out a low growl when he saw her. He snarled and charged forward quickly. She looked up at him as he approached, their eyes connecting briefly before he raised a hand and struck her savagely across the face.

Lilith made a pained noise and the helmet and her staff went flying as she fell to the ground, her hair breaking free from its bun and obscuring her face.

"Boss!" Deekin cried.

"Lilith..." Illa growled.

They both rushed over to the aasimar. Deekin put himself between Lilith and Valen, posed with his cross bow ready. Illa had ducked his head under Lilith's hair and appeared to be gently licking her cheek in an attempt to ease whatever pain Valen had caused.

Valen wasn't sure if he had meant to hit her, or if he had meant to hit her that hard. It was an impulsive action, and he wasn't sure if it had made him feel better. She looked small and frail lying in the dirt, and Valen had the feeling that if he wanted to he could break the small woman in half with his bare hands.

"No, it's okay. Both of you calm down." Lilith said quietly, pushing herself up slowly and silently urging Deekin to put his crossbow down. The kobold reluctantly complied, and Illa settled in next to the sorcerer protectively.

Then Lilith looked up at Valen, and he sincerely wished he had never hit her. The aasimar's lip was bleeding, and a large, dark bruise had already formed on her swollen cheek. Once again, though, Lilith failed to look at Valen with any sort of fear or hatred, and that caused him to step back and sent a shiver down his spine. The wound on her face looked more than a little painful, she should have been angry or upset in some way, but instead she just watched him with her usual calm expression.

Then she did something that caused an unbearable guilt to weigh down on him.

Lilith smiled a little. "Feel better now?" She asked quietly, pushing herself up to her feet and picking up her staff.

If only there had been some sort of sarcasm in her voice, or some hint that she was mocking him. Even in the face of his anger, though, she was still understanding and patient.

Valen struggled for words again; his anger forgotten and his mind a blank. How was he supposed to respond to this? How had he gotten himself into this situation?

"Look... I'm sorry, Valen." Lilith sighed, shaking her head. "I should have explained why I didn't want the rest of you coming with me. It's just... I didn't want to take any risks if things went badly. I mean, if things went wrong and they captured me, there's no loss whatsoever. I know nothing about the camps defenses or the Seer's plans. Hells, I don't even remember the way back to camp from here!" She said, attempting a small smile. "No one would even miss me if I died. If things went wrong and the illithid captured you... well, everything would be lost, and the Seer would really miss you. I just thought..."

Damn... once again the sorcerer appeared to have thought things out quite carefully before acting. Valen needed a moment to come back to his senses before he was able to reply to her. He wanted to say he was sorry, that he shouldn't have been stubborn and cornered her like that, that he shouldn't have slapped her, but of course that wasn't what he was going to say.

"Pretty words that mean nothing." The tiefling snorted, his face hardening. "I'm watching you. This little... escapade of yours only supports my theory that you're going to get us all killed." He shot at her, turning away. He was vaguely aware of Lilith lowering her eyes behind him and muttering an apology. Valen cursed himself silently. Of course he had handled this badly. He had no clue how to handle the aasimar. He had never met someone so strange. He bit his tongue, though, and said one thing that he really wanted to. "And I'm sorry." He added quietly, his voice more gentle this time.

Valen started walking then, not looking behind him to see if the others were following.

´ 

They had had to make camp on their way back to the drow settlement. Valen offered to take the first watch. It was either his was of trying to make amends for hitting the aasimar, or he didn't trust her to watch over him while he slept. Valen wasn't prepared to admit which was the real reason yet, not even to himself.

Valen did his best not to look at her. If he did look at her, he'd see that bruise he left on her cheek and feel the wave of guilt he was barely managing to suppress.

"I don't have a soul, you know." Illa said quietly.

Valen gave a small jump. The dragon's voice had caught him off guard after the long stretch of complete silence. Lilith hadn't spoken a word the since they started walking, save for a small 'thank you' she uttered after they stopped to make camp when Valen took the flint and tinder from her shaking hands and lit the campfire for her.

"What's your point, vermin?" Valen drawled easily, not looking at Illa. 

"I want you to know that if I die there is no coming back for me. I want you to know that I'm serious when I speak these next words." Illa's voice was serious, a rare thing from the pseudo-dragon. He had been curled up not far from Lilith, but now he sat up in a rather dignified manner and locked his reptilian eyes on the tiefling. "Lilith is the single sweetest, nicest, most wonderful woman I know. She insists on thinking the best of everyone, and has never once refused to help someone when there was something she could do to ease their pain. She deserves to be called 'aasimar'. However..." Illa paused, licking his non-existent lips and considering his next words carefully.

"However...?" Valen repeated, arching a brow at Illa. A chill had run down Valen's spine when Illa started talking, but he wanted the pseudo-dragon to continue.

"However, life likes to play a little game called 'Let's Fuck With Lilith'." Illa continued. "I won't get into the exact details. If you want them, though, she'd probably tell you. My point is that since life is so intent on destroying Lilith, I have made it my personal mission to protect her." Illa looked Valen in the eye now, his gaze hard and piercing. "I will protect my mistress with my life." He said quietly, his tone dangerous and fierce. "And if you lay hands on her again, I will clamp down on your throat until one or both of us are dead. Is that clear?"

Valen watched Illa for a long moment. The sincerity of the familiar's words and the tone of his voice was almost haunting. It hadn't occurred to him that Illa was capable of anything but sarcastic dry wit and the occasional poignant observation. Here he was, though, declaring his apparently undying loyalty to a woman he spent most of his time making fun of and bossing around.

Valen nodded. "Perfectly."

"Good." Illa said with a nod of his own to show his approval. Then the pseudo-dragon curled back up, as if nothing had happened, and went back to sleep.

Valen gave a sigh and leaned back against the wall of the cave they were currently using for shelter. The day had been long and... confusing. He wasn't sure of anything any more. He had left the camp with Lilith and her companions quite intent on hating her, and set on not trusting her.

Now he seemed to be lost in his judgments.

Maybe if he understood Lilith in some small way he'd be able to make sense of things. With that in mind he glanced at those around him to make sure they were really asleep and then crept a little closer to Lilith so he could get a better look at her.

He'd never allow himself to observe her so carefully under normal circumstances. However, with everyone asleep and his utter lack of comprehension regarding the aasimar annoying the hell out of him, Valen was willing to make an exception. So he sat near Lilith, and looked her over carefully.

Her skin was pale and almost luminescent in the dark of the cave, though she was mostly covered in shadow since she had set up her bed roll so far from the fire. Her hair was a warm brow and now lay loose and wavy around her willowy form. The aasimar was small... almost delicate looking, like a porcelain figurine. Yes, that was a good way of describing her. A porcelain figurine. The pale skin, dark hair, and almost blank, watching eyes all wrapped in a variety of blue cloth.

Valen gave a frustrated sigh, having gained nothing from his observations. He was just about to give up and go back to his watch spot when he noticed something odd.

Lilith's brow was knotted and her eyes clenched shut. She was fidgeting a little, a small, pained sound emanating from her.

The sorcerer was having a nightmare. A rather bad nightmare, from the looks of it. He couldn't help feeling some measure of sympathy for the woman. Valen knew all about nightmares. There were times when he himself still woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat from some memory of the Blood Wars and his time spent with Grim'asht. 

Lilith was having one of those bad memory nightmares now. He'd have recognized the symptoms anywhere. Well, his observation of the sorcerer hadn't been completely in vain. He knew now that something bad had happened to the woman, and she was still haunted by it. 

Valen nodded. Good, that bit of information was something at least.

The tiefling was just about to move to go stand vigil once more when the aasimar made a pathetic mewling sound and curled up on her side as small as she could.

Valen hesitated, suddenly unsure of what to do. Lilith was obviously terrified and in pain. For a moment he considered waking her up, but decided against it. What was he to do, though? He couldn't just leave her like that, but at the same time he didn't know if there was anything he could do. That and it really wasn't his place to do anything, he thought. This was a woman he was supposed to hate and not trust, after all. A woman he had hit earlier and who frustrated the hells out of him.

Valen gave a reluctant sigh, glancing about to make sure everyone was still asleep. He couldn't believe he was doing this, but it was the only thing he could think of.

Valen reached out cautiously, and ran a calloused hand through her hair as gently as he could. The tiefling almost stopped breathing. The aasimar had appeared almost cold when he watched her, but she was warmer than he expected and her hair was softer than he had thought it would be.

He ran a hand through her hair again, repeating the action in a soothing manner. As he stroked her hair he began to hum bits of a lullaby he could just barely remember, a lullaby he was fairly sure his mother used to sing to him and a lullaby he was fairly sure used to work on him.

Valen had his doubts if it would work or not when after a few minutes there had been no change in her. Then she began to relax, to Valen's sheer surprise. Her body was no longer tense, and she had stopped whimpering. Her breathing regulated once more and she smiled a little in her sleep.

Valen stared at Lilith, unable to believe that his plan had worked and that he had been the one to ease whatever pain she had been in.

The tiefling withdrew his hand and went back to his spot on the other side of the fire.

Well, at least their little trip had been interesting.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Lilith collapsed on her bed in the room she had been given in the Public Houses. They had arrived back in the Seer's camp earlier that day, and Lilith had finally managed to escape everyone and get a few moments of peace and quiet.

She needed to come up with a plan to deal with the illithid in addition to figuring out how to deal with a thousand other things, but for the time being she wanted to rest and forget everything that lay beyond the soft, warm bed she currently lay on.

Lilith wanted to forget that people she had never heard of wanted her dead for reasons she couldn't remember, that there were people counting on her to keep them alive, and that she had basically screwed up any chance she had of Valen trusting her. She couldn't figure out how she kept getting herself into these kinds of situations. She couldn't figure out why people seemed to rely on her help so much was it was so obvious she was just making things up as she went along.

Lilith pressed her face into her pillow.

Life was too complicated some times. At least she could take solace in the fact that she had slept better the previous night than she had in a along time. Her nightmares had been getting worse lately, though she still couldn't remember anything about them after waking up. She had a feeling that if she could just remember some small fragment from the dreams, she might be able to make sense of them and make them go away.

"I hate my god damn life." Lilith muttered to herself. She buried her face deeper into the pillow, intent on shutting out the world.

The world, however, refused to be ignored.

A hesitant knocked sounded at the door.

"My lady?"

Lilith lifted her head from the pillow. The voice on the other side of the door was Valen's. His voiced sounded as hesitant as the knock had, almost cautious. Lilith wasn't sure what to make of it. The tiefling hadn't really spoken to her or looked directly at her since they left Zor'vak Mur.

Lilith sat up on the edge of her bed. "Come in, Valen." She called. 

The door opened and Valen stepped into the room, staying near the door way. He looked uncomfortable, and his tail twitched nervously as he fixed his gaze somewhere on the wall to his left.

"Is something the matter, Valen?" Lilith asked, cocking her head to one side and observing him carefully. The Seer had fixed the aasimar's cheek without demanding an explanation as to what had hurt her, removing the mark entirely. However, Valen still refused to look at Lilith, as if the sight of her would remind him of what he had done. 

Valen shifted, obviously searching for words that weren't coming to him easily. Lilith had figured he hated her for what she did to him. Maybe she had been wrong about that.

"My lady, I wanted to--"

"Don't." Lilith cut Valen off quickly. She could see where this was going. She shook her head, though, putting a hand up. Valen was a creature of pride, and she wouldn't have him damage his pride with an apology over something so stupid. "You had every right to hit me. I had it coming." She said, trying to use as final as tone as possible. 

Valen looked right at her now. "Pardon?" He said, arching a brow at her and looking at her as if he wasn't sure she was serious.

"You were right to hit me. I shouldn't have--"

"Are you completely deranged, woman?" Valen asked with a tone of complete disbelief, a look of horror on his face. "I knew celestials weren't all there, but you're sort of pushing it." 

Lilith blinked, unsure of what to say and genuinely confused.

"I... I don't think I understand, Valen." Lilith said, lowering her eyes and shaking her head. "I ignored your opinion and sedated you without your permission. I expected you to be angry. You had every right to be angry."

Valen growled, shaking his head. "By the gods, celestial, do you have any idea how incredibly frustrating you are?"

Lilith looked at him again, confusion written on her face. She was about to say again that she didn't understand, but he seemed to anticipate her words.

"I know you don't understand, that's what's frustrating!" The tiefling snapped, his tail slashing at the air as he began to pace. He seemed at a loss for words, like he was trying to think how to explain something painfully obvious that she had somehow missed. "I mean... that is... how you could possibly think I had a right to… that anyone could have a right to…" He ran a hand back through his hair and snorted, unsure on how to proceed.

Lilith opened her mouth to apologize for whatever she had done wrong, but he held up a hand in her direction and stopped her from speaking. 

"Don't you dare apologize, celestial. Don't you dare." Valen shot at her, glaring at her out the corner of his eye.

Lilith shrunk back and watched the weapons-master as he paced, waiting for him to speak again.

"I had a right to be angry. I DIDN'T have a right to hit you." Valen said at last, standing still now and looking at her. "I lost control. I shouldn't have. The fact that you think I was right to hit you is... is..." Valen made a frustrated sound, once again at a loss for words. "It's mind boggling. This entire situation is mind boggling!" He half shouted.

Lilith stared at Valen as if his hair had suddenly turned purple. "What do you mean, Valen? Did I do something to upset you?" She asked. The man was crazy. That was the only explanation for what he was saying. 

Valen made an exasperated sound. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's just you in general!" Valen said. Once again, Lilith was confused. She wouldn't have to wait long for an explanation; however, as Valen had started pacing again as he tried to figure out how to continue. "I can handle launching into battle against overwhelming odds. I can handle large and small scale battle tactics when there is almost no hope of survival. I can handle every gods damned danger that the Abyss and the Underdark has thrown at me. What I can't seem to handle, though, is you! Do you have any idea how INCREDIBLY frustrating you are?"

Lilith stared at Valen for a long moment, eyes wide. Then she started laughing, doubling over and clutching her sides.

"Will you stop laughing?" Valen spat. "I'm serious! No matter how hard I try, I can't figure you out."

"Well I could have told you I was fucking weird!" Lilith laughed. Apparently her use of a swear word had surprised Valen, for he had stopped pacing and stared at her in shock. Lilith just grinned and shook her head. "Sweet Lady singing in the moonlight! Don't bother trying to figure me out, Valen. You'll just drive yourself mad. I don't even understand myself most of the time."

Valen sighed and shook his head. "Can you at least tell me why you weren't mad when I hit you?" Valen asked. He shifted uncomfortably now, looking away from her. "Why did you... I mean..."

"Why did I forgive you so quickly?" Lilith finished for him, arching a brow in his direction. Lilith stood up, shaking her head. It was her turn to state the obvious. "I thought we'd been over this, Valen." Lilith said as she went over to him. Much to his apparent surprise, Lilith turned his head so he was looking at her, and started to straighten his hair and brush specks of dust off his armor. Valen fidgeted, but didn't protest. "You lost control. What hit me wasn't you. Besides, it's not like you felt good about hitting me." 

Valen growled in frustration, taking hold of her hands. "It WAS me who hit you, though." He said, letting her hands go now. "And I hit you because I lost control of my demonic side, because I lost my temper. I should have been more careful, more collected."

Lilith rolled her eyes. "You're being unreasonable again." She muttered, turning away from him and walking back over to the bed as she ran a hand back through her hair. The aasimar turned back to the tiefling now. She didn't see why he wasn't getting this on his own. It was all perfectly obvious to her. "It was the demonic part of you that hit me. Oh, the demonic part of you IS a part of you, but at the same time, it ISN'T you." Lilith said simply, sitting on the edge of the bed again. "The you that hit me was different from the you that lit the campfire for me because you saw that I was scared."

Valen was silent for a long moment, then sighed and shook his head. "You... complicate things, my lady." He said in a tired tone. The tiefling was smiling a little though, and Lilith took that as a good sign. 

"I freely admit that I think too much." Lilith said with a pleasant smile, leaning back a little and shrugging.

"I truly don't understand you, my lady." Valen said. "Almost every hour on the hour I remind you I don't trust you, and that you're going to get us killed. I have gone out of my way to alienate you and make you feel unwelcome. However, you seem intent on thinking the best of me."

"And you want to know why that is?" Lilith asked, truly amused at this point.

Valen flicked his tail uncomfortably again. "Yes."

"Your scars," Lilith said and pointed to him. "The way you carry yourself, the way you speak, the way you seem so intent on protecting those around you all indicate your life hasn't been an easy one." She said quietly, suddenly very serious and almost feeling a little sad. "And I have to wonder what life has done to make you so jaded... Do you really need one more person torturing you?" Lilith shook her head, straightening up now. "No... I'm not going to condemn you for trying to do what you think is right. How am I supposed to be upset because you care about these people and want to protect them?"

Valen watched Lilith for a long moment as he considered her carefully. "You are truly unique, my lady." He said. "But I still don't trust you." He added almost jokingly with a smirk.

Lilith grinned. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

´ 

Lilith was vaguely aware of Valen and Illa arguing somewhere behind her. Since they had all gotten on Cavallas' boat and set course for the Isle of the Maker, Illa had been chasing Valen's tail and trying to snap at it.

Illa had just made the point that if Valen didn't want him chasing his tail, he shouldn't move it like a small wounded animal. Valen retorted by saying that if Illa didn't want him to rip his wings from his back, he would leave his tail alone.

Lilith had to admit, they both made very convincing points.

The aasimar wasn't really paying attention to her companions, though. She was leaning on the rail of the boat, gazing into the depths of the Dark River. The murky waters seemed to captivate Lilith, and she found herself leaning forward a little to get a better look at the rush and current of the river around the boat.

The sorcerer leaned further over the edge. The water seemed to call to her silently, threatening to reach up for her and pull her down into the cold liquid below. It was like the river itself was a living entity that begged for her to surrender to it, to let herself drop into the waters below and let it over take her completely.

The thought made Lilith smile a little.

"Drowning would be the best way to die, I think." Lilith whispered breathlessly, her eye's still fixed intently on the river below. 

"Be that as it may, my lady," Valen's hands locked around the sorcerer's waist, lifting her effortlessly and moving her away from the rail. "It may be best not to risk falling into the river." He said as he let her go.

Lilith blinked up at Valen. He'd startled her, and she couldn't help but have noticed that his hands went almost all the way around her waist when he'd lifted her. She couldn't help but think that it was odd that she'd never noticed the size of his hands before. She also had to wonder just how strong Valen was that he could lift her so easily. Or had she just been eating badly and lost weight again?

A rumbling sound shook the aasimar from her thoughts, and she looked to her right to see a barrel trembling around on the deck.

Lilith arched a brow at Valen.

"Stuffed Illa in a barrel?"

Valen smirked down at her.

"And tied him up."

"Nice touch." Lilith laughed, shaking her head.

"I told him to leave my tail alone." Valen said with a shrug. "I don't like repeating myself. So when he ignored my warning, I decided to make the problem go away." He grinned, gesturing to the barrel. 

"He was only bugging you because he finds your tail fascinating." Lilith said, rolling her eyes and pretending to be annoyed. The aasimar was rather enjoying this game, whatever it was, that they all seemed to be playing. Since Valen had come to talk to Lilith in her room, whatever tension there had been between them had lessened considerably. The aasimar had been immensely relieved when she noticed the change, to say the least. "To be fair, though, I sort of understand Illa's perspective."

Valen just cocked his head and offered Lilith a curious expression.

"Your tail." Lilith said and indicated the tiefling's tail. "It's sort of... hypnotic, I suppose. Always moving and the like, and it seems to communicate your mood." The aasimar paused momentarily, considering Valen carefully before offering him a smile. "I like it."

"Uh... thank you, my lady." Valen said, turning bright red and looking away from the aasimar as he tucked his tail close to one of his legs. 

Lilith's smile turned into a full blown grin.

"Are you blushing?" She asked, leaning up on her tip toes to get a better look at him.

Valen backed away quickly, startled and embarrassed. "No."

"You are blushing!" Lilith giggled, moving forward when he moved back. "Sweet goddess! That's absolutely adorable."

Valen twitched in annoyance, trying to back away again, but to no avail. "I am not blushing, and I am NOT adorable." He protested.

"Defend your honor, Betty!" Illa's muffled voice called through the barrel. "The woman weighs a hundred and five pounds, you can take her!" 

"Are you not used to compliments?" Lilith asked Valen, giving Illa's barrel a swift kick in retaliation.

While Illa let out a series of drow swears that he had learned from Nathyrra, Valen shifted and cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the subject.

"I'm a warrior, my lady. Most of the compliments I receive are 'good job not dying', and 'your weapon is looking nice and sharp'." Valen explained.

"I see." Lilith said with a nod.

It was then that an idea struck, probably the best idea she'd ever had. 

Lilith grinned fiendishly and looked to Valen.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" Valen asked, arching a brow and taking a step away from Lilith again.

"Oh, I just figured out how to handle your little reminders." Lilith half sang.

"I thought you supported me in my endeavors with mistrust and moral destruction." Valen retorted.

"Oh, I do." Lilith said pleasantly. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to retaliate. You see, every time you tell me you don't trust me, I'm going to compliment you. More than that, every time you say I'm going to get us all killed, I will compliment you AND hug you." 

Valen paled. "You wouldn't dare."

Lilith smirked for perhaps the first time ever. "Oh, I would, because I'm a touchy feely fluff ball. That, and what are you going to do to stop me?" She asked, raising a brow. "You have to drop you guard some time, Valen, and THAT'S when I'll hug you."

Valen held up his hands warningly. "Do NOT hug me, celestial. I mean it. You may be a fluff ball, but I'm--"

"--obviously starved for attention." Lilith chirped.

Valen gave an aggravated sigh. "I'm serious, my lady."

"So am I." Lilith said, then swept in quickly and hugged Valen tightly. 

The tiefling tried to protest, blushing fiercely and keeping very still between fidgets, half muttering uncomfortably, half afraid to move for fear of touching her more than he already was.

Lilith let Valen go, extremely pleased with herself. "Let that be a warning." She said pointedly.

"Dear sweet gods." Illa muttered as he finally toppled out of the barrel, having chewed through the ropes. "You're like children!"

Lilith raised a brow and looked to Valen to see if he understood, but the tiefling just shrugged.

Illa shook his head, turning away from them and started to walk away. As her familiar left, Lilith could have sworn she heard him mumbling to himself.

"If they were eight years old he'd be pushing her in the mud, and she'd be pulling his tail..."

´ 

Every part of Lilith's body ached, and she gave a deep moan of pain as she pushed herself up off the stone floor. Dust filled her lungs as she breathed deeply, and she coughed violently because of it. Her head felt like it was going to split down the middle, and getting into a sitting position was difficult.

"Beautiful." Lilith muttered, looking up at the hole in the ceiling far above her. The floor had caved in, and it took Lilith a moment to remember why. 

She'd had a bad feeling about The Maker's laboratory from the moment they stepped into it. Golems were near impervious to magic. She was basically going to be useless in battle except for supporting the others. Lilith knew Valen was strong, but she wasn't sure how long that would last them in a dungeon full of constructs.

Naturally something had gone wrong.

They'd eventually come to a hallway with stairs that appeared to lead down. Blocking the stairs, however, was a large construct. Lilith vividly remembered the screech of metal on metal and the hiss of steam, the stench of oil making her gag as the steel minotaur raised it's axe and charged at them.

The battle was mainly a blur, as most battles were to Lilith. She did all she could to keep back and out of the way while still protecting her companions. Unfortunately, though, Lilith's repertoire of defensive spells was not as large as her store of offensive spells.

The part of the fight that stuck frozen in her mind was the end of it. Valen had been occupying the Minogon's attention rather effectively while Deekin took what shots he could with his cross bow, and Lilith used what protection spells she had. She hadn't been too worried, in fact, it looked like they were going to win the fight.

Then came the sickening scream of metal being torn, and a cry of pain coming from Valen's direction, not far from her.

Lilith hadn't seen what happened, she'd been busy with a spell for Deekin. The aasimar's stomach churned, however, and her blood went cold with panic when she saw Valen's motionless form on the ground.

Lilith vaguely remembered screaming as she ran to Valen's side to try and deter the charging construct so that it wouldn't kill him.

She'd cast a spell, though she wasn't sure which. The sorcerer had been reacting on instinct. Unfortunately, the spell she used was too powerful and seemed to explode on her, tossing her to the ground as well as everyone left standing.

Then the walls had come down, as well as the floor.

Lilith struggled to her feet now, trying to get a grip on her surroundings. 

The still body of the Minogon lay buried in rubble not far from her, but Illa and Deekin were nowhere to be seen. Valen, however, lay very still nearby.

"Valen!" Lilith half tripped over her feet as she rushed over to Valen, kneeling near him and looking him over.

The Minogon must have hit him fairly hard, for the tiefling's breastplate had been rend in two, a large, deep wound running along the length of his chest and bleeding thickly.

Valen was alive, though. He gave a pained sound as he shifted a little, his eye's barely open.

Tears began running down Lilith's cheeks. "You stupid man. I thought demons were supposed to be invincible."

"I'll be fine." Valen managed after a moment, though his voice was weak and wet with blood.

Shaking hands moved as delicately as they could to move the split pieces of breastplate aside, then spread the remains of Valen's tunic apart. Lilith knew she had to get a look at the tiefling's wound and do what she could for him as quickly as possible or he would die. Lilith's insides were clenching, though, and her heart half refused to beat as an unbearable fear pressed down on her.

She didn't want Valen to die. The thought of him dying made her feel physically ill. His wound was terrible, though, and Lilith wasn't sure how much she could do for him. Valen's pack had been smashed, and Deekin had the rest of the healing supplies.

Valen struggled to lift a hand and rested it on one of hers. Despite herself, Lilith's heartbeat slowly returned to normal and her hands stopped shaking.

"The others?" Valen asked, taking a shallow and shuddering breath. 

Lilith closed her eyes and concentrated. "Illa is alive, I can feel him. That means Deekin is most likely alive too."

"Well, better luck next time." The tiefling tried to laugh, tried to lift her spirits a little, but it turn into a hacking cough that brought crimson fluid up to his pale lips.

Lilith wanted to break down crying more than anything in the world, but knew that she couldn't allow herself such a childish action.

"I don't have any healing items, Valen." Lilith whimpered. "And I don't know how much longer it will be until the other's find us... I... I think..." She stammered and took a deep breath. "I think we have to burn the wound closed. We need to close the wound, quickly, so you don't lose any more blood, and to make sure the wound doesn't infect."

"Wouldn't be the first time I've had to do that." Valen breathed. "How are we going to do it, though?"

Lilith shuddered. "I... there's only one fire spell I can use, a low level spell called 'burning hands'." She said. Fire terrified Lilith more than anything. The thought of using the spell, of actually touching fire and having it on her hands made the aasimar want to claw at the skin on her hands and hide.

Lilith wanted Valen to live more than she wanted to hide, though. She'd have done anything she could to keep Valen from dying.

"Are you sure? I seem to remember you not liking fire." Valen's eyes met Lilith's for a moment, their usual intensity dimmed slightly. 

Lilith didn't break his gaze. She was finding less and less that those eyes scared her. "Positive." The aasimar breathed. "Just... it's going to hurt."

"Better than dying." He said, smiling just a little.

"I'm going to yell at you later." Lilith said, trying to smile a little herself.

Then the sorcerer closed her eye's, holding her hands in front of her. Burning Hands was the only fire spell Lilith could make work, and even though it was a low level spell it took every ounce of her concentration to make the flames manifest and coat her hands. 

Lilith could feel the fire licking at her hands, and it took every bit of her willpower not to panic and fail the spell. Valen needed her to close the wound. He needed her to keep him alive.

She wanted so badly for him to live.

Lilith opened her eyes, refusing to look at her now flaming hands. "Ready?" 

"Just do it quickly." Valen said with a nod, closing his eyes and bracing himself.

The aasimar took a deep breath and lowered her hands to Valen's flesh. The tiefling's body tensed and his back arched as he ground his teeth and tried to keep from crying out in pain. Lilith cringed, tears rolling down her cheeks, but she didn't remove her hands. Rather, the sorcerer moved her hands over Valen's wound. She knew if she paused for even a moment, she would lose her nerve and the spell would dissolve.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Lilith finished sealing the wound. She had left an unsightly, puckered scar across his chest. The skin was screaming red and looked very painful, but at least he wouldn't lose any more blood.

Lilith frantically shook the flames from her hands, doubling over and shaking violently. Though the fire was gone, she could still feel the flames on her hands.

"Deep breaths, my lady." Valen wheezed. "You did well."

Lilith whimpered, but managed a nod and did her best to straighten up. She couldn't let herself go to pieces.

"Just don't fall asleep or anything, okay?" Lilith said as she brushed the tears from her eyes. "I don't want you dying or anything." 

Valen managed a weak smile. "I'll be okay. Demons heal quickly. I promise I'll be up and questioning your loyalties soon."

"I know, but... but..." Lilith tried to hold back the tears, but it was no use any more. She was sobbing, clutching herself and trembling. Valen had almost died. He still might die. He was lying on the floor before her, surrounded by his own blood and more than a little pale. Of course, Valen was always pale, but it was more than clear how much blood he had lost.

"Please, my lady, don't cry." Valen said quietly. "Taunting you isn't any fun if you just cry."

Lilith found herself laughing a little, though she hadn't wanted to. "Damn you, you wretched man." She said as she shook her head, pushing the tears back and smiling faintly. "Rest, okay? I'm going to try contacting Illa. Hopefully they'll find us soon and we can fix you up properly."

Valen said nothing more, but he nodded and closed his eyes. It wasn't long before the tiefling's ragged breathing took on an even rhythm, letting Lilith know he was asleep.

She had been terrified that he would die. She had been more terrified than she could put into words. It was a fear that still ate at her now, gripping at her heart and making her blood refuse to flow in her veins.

Lilith would have done anything to keep the man before her alive. Why that was, she wasn't exactly sure. Then again, she hadn't been lying when she said she didn't understand herself most of the time, didn't understand the feelings that were stirring in her breast. 

"Please..." Lilith whispered to whatever gods or spirits may have been listening or to no one at all. "Please, don't let him die. Don't take him from me too..."

Tears coursed down her cheeks once more, racking her body and blurring her vision.

"Don't die, Valen... please don't die." The aasimar begged Valen's silent, sleeping form.

Lilith tucked her hair back, then slowly brought her hand down and delicately traced the outline of the tiefling's face. Her heart had started beating again. More than that, her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Please, don't die." The words were whispered, and Lilith closed her eyes. 

Slowly, carefully, Lilith leaned down over Valen and paused when they where barely a breath apart.

"Don't die."

Lilith then closed what little distance there was between them, setting her lips gently against his.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"He saves Deekin's life, Boss!"

The kobold's voice was hushed, but excited and he was speaking quickly. 

Valen didn't open his eyes, the world slowly trickling back to him as he drifted back from sleep. Apparently, Illa and Deekin had found where he and Lilith had fallen. Though the kobold was speaking, Lilith didn't seem to be responding, though Valen could hear her fiddling with something not far from him.

"That golem thingy was going to kill Deekin, but goat-man sees that Deekin be in danger and saves him!"

Valen pushed himself up now, opening his eyes. He felt remarkably better, better than he should have even with healing potions. The spot where he had been struck across his chest still ached a little, but the scar had some how faded to the point where it was very faint.

To say the least, he was surprised.

"Get all your beauty sleep, Betty?" Illa looked up from where he was curled up near the fire someone, most likely Deekin, had started. 

"Didn't managed to die this time, you scaled pigeon?" Valen drawled icily to the pseudo-dragon. "Well, I suppose I can always hope things go better next time."

Then the tiefling spotted the aasimar, and for some reason he couldn't help smiling a little.

Though they had lit the fire near the weapons-master to keep him warm, Lilith sat near Valen's feet. At some point she had gotten his shirt off, probably to treat the wound better, and was now in the process of sewing the rip in it shut. She'd even managed to get the blood out of the fabric somehow, which the tiefling didn't think he'd of been able to ever do. Something about that made Valen feel a sort of warmth that had nothing to do with the fire.

Valen couldn't help noticing a series of small cuts on the sorcerer's fingers, though. They were tiny, really, and he was positive most people wouldn't have noticed them. The marks were clean, and though they looked self inflicted they didn't look like more than paper cuts. Valen frowned, but before he had a chance to ask about the cuts, the aasimar threw his shirt in his face, not even looking at him.

"Good to see you awake." Lilith said, her tone cold and harsh. "When you feel up to it we'll move on." Lilith waved a hand dismissively to the shattered remains of Valen's armor, which rested not far from him. "There's nothing I can do to fix that. We've found you some other armor to wear until you get your breastplate to the blacksmith back at camp. I'm going to scout the area."

Lilith ignored the tiefling then, standing up sharply and moving away from the group.

Valen was more than a little surprised. She was angry. VERY angry, it seemed, and apparently that anger was directed at him. The tiefling hadn't a clue what he had done to upset her, but he wasn't going to claim himself an expert on women.

He shifted, pulling his shirt on and flicking his tail nervously. The fact that the aasimar was upset with him agitated Valen. He had never seen her mad, and he had done plenty of things that should have gotten a rise out of her. Whatever he had done must have been something awful.

That thought made a chill run down the tiefling's spine and turned his stomach in knots.

´ 

"I'm leaving." The words left Lilith's lips before she knew what she was saying exactly.

The aasimar and the tiefling were standing near the rail of Cavallas' boat as it cut through the water to take them back to the Seer's camp. She hadn't been looking at Valen, and had been cold to him since he had woken up back on the Isle of the Maker. Valen was obviously confused, though he hadn't said anything to her about her actions. Part of her was thankful for that.

Lilith had kissed Valen while he was asleep, and it was at that moment that the aasimar knew she had to leave.

She was becoming far too attached to the Seer and her rebels, not just Valen. Eventually Lilith would have to leave the camp, and she thought it better to do it now before she got even more attached to them.

That was just how things worked. She was there, and she was gone. She didn't want to be remembered, she didn't want to be thanked, and she didn't want anyone to miss her.

Valen looked to Lilith, a little startled. He hadn't been expecting that. 

"Why?" He asked, observing her carefully.

"Why should I stay? It's not like I actually want to be here." Lilith retorted easily.

"Well that's odd. You seemed rather gung-ho about helping us earlier today." Valen rationalized. The aasimar had an affection for logic, and he was hoping that gift could be used now to trip her into giving something away, some glimpse into what she was thinking. "So what changed between this morning and now? Here I was thinking you were some do-gooder and a meddler."

"What do you care?" Lilith snapped at Valen, growing more and more annoyed with him. Yes, she was upset with him. Or rather, she was upset in general. Either way, she didn't think she should have to explain herself to him. Was she not allowed to be angry? "It's not like you like me, let alone trust me. That's the whole point of you coming along with me on these missions, isn't it? Make sure I don't betray you and your beloved drow to the Valsharess, right?" Her tone was almost mocking, intended to be cruel. She didn't particularly like this side of herself, but there were times when it felt too good to be denied. Needless to say, this was one of those times.

Valen turned from Lilith, his tail whipping in annoyance. "I came with you, celestial, to make sure you didn't die. You may be capable, but the Underdark can be very dangerous for one who is new to it." 

"Once again I find that I have to ask why you care." Lilith shot at him. "What's lost if I die, Shadowbreath? Is the world any worse off? Besides, if I die, it's not like I can hurt your Seer. You should be cheering for my death."

A low growl built in Valen's throat. "Stop it." He said, his voice dangerously low. The tiefling had never imagined that the sorcerer had a side to her this dark. He'd only ever seen her calm and rational. But now... now it almost seemed like she hated everyone and everything around her. And though she didn't say it, Valen had the distinct impression that Lilith hated herself.

This made Valen angry, and he wasn't sure why.

"You know I'm right, Valen! If I wanted to I probably COULD level your damn camp with a well placed spell, or at least devastate your ranks." Lilith was almost yelling now, never before having felt this angry over something so stupid. If she wanted to leave, she should be able to without having to justify her actions to some brute warrior. "So why the hells do you care if I die? It would just be the removal of an unnecessary risk."

Valen tried to calm himself, knowing that she was trying to bait him now. He wouldn't allow himself to lose control. Not that easily. "I am trying to help you because the Seer believes--"

"TO HELL WITH WHAT YOUR GOD DAMNED SEER BELIEVES!" Lilith screamed at the tiefling, her cheeks flushed with anger and her head spinning. 

Apparently the sudden loudness had been unexpected. Valen wasn't the only one to stare at the aasimar in total surprise. Deekin looked up from his writing, his mouth open a little, having never heard Lilith yell before. Illa stirred from his nap on the deck, and now seemed to be observing the aasimar and the tiefling with the weighted gaze of a councilor.

Lilith didn't care what they thought, though. She wanted to yell, she wanted to be angry. She couldn't STAND being so rational and reasonable all the time.

"To hell with your Seer, to hell with your rebels, and to hell with you!" Lilith screamed, her throat growing sore. "So you help me because SHE thinks I can help her. What a wonderful, selfish sentiment. Gods, Valen! Just drop dead. Drop dead and leave me alone."

"Enough!" Valen roared at the aasimar, taking a step forward and trying to stare her down. He wasn't going to indulge her any more. Venting was one thing, but now she was just acting like a child. Lilith was glaring up at him defiantly, and the tiefling met her gaze. "I'm not sure what I did to infuriate you, but I have tried to be accommodating. Now I am demanding an explanation for your behavior." Valen grabbed her by the wrist now, pulling up her hand to investigate the cuts on her fingers. "Why don't you start with how you got these?"

"Oh go fuck yourself!" Lilith spat at him, trying to pull herself free, though Valen was infinitely stronger than the sorcerer. There was no way she was going to tell him about the cuts. He had no right to know how she got those cuts.

Of course, Illa thought differently.

"Celestial blood is a component in some of the more potent healing spells and rituals, a couple of which Lilith has gone out of her way to learn for emergency situations." Illa drawled easily. "She used a ritual while you were asleep to more completely heal your wound. It's also the reason your scar healed so well and quickly."

Valen stared at Lilith, shocked and speechless. The aasimar had stopped struggling while Illa spoke, and now looked away from the tiefling, her gaze far away and not focused on anything in particular.

She'd bled to make sure he lived. Valen wasn't sure how to respond to that. 

"Look... I..." Lilith shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting in his grasp. "I didn't want you to die."

And suddenly it all made sense.

"You're mad at me because I got hurt." Valen said, watching her intently. 

"A little." Lilith mumbled. That was only part of it, though. She was mad because she was starting to understand why it was she was scared when he met her gaze, and why she so desperately wanted him to trust her.

Valen tried very hard not to think about what he did next, knowing he would lose his nerve if he stopped to think. The tiefling knew there were no words to reply to her with. There was only one thing he could think of to do.

Valen pulled Lilith forward by the wrist he still held, and hugged her. 

Lilith's eyes went wide, and she struggled in vain for words. She couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged her. She wasn't sure if anyone had ever hugged her since she had come to Drogan's school. Illa occasionally wrapped his tail around her arm or leg, but it wasn't the same. Now Valen held her tightly in his arms near his chest, and for the first time in all she could remember since leaving Drogan's school, the aasimar felt completely and utterly safe. 

Suddenly Lilith wasn't mad anymore, and she was very aware of how fast her heart was beating.

"Two things." Valen said. "Number one, I promise I won't get hurt like that again. Number two, you are NOT allowed to tell anyone I hugged you. Understood?"

It took Lilith a moment to remember how to speak, caught up in the wonderfully warm, almost cinnamon scent of him. "I... I understand." Lilith said at last, her voice small and unsure. 

"Good." Valen said as he released the aasimar, much to her dismay. "And you'll stay?" The tiefling asked, observing her.

"If you think it's a good idea." Lilith muttered, looking at her feet. 

"Well, considering that the geas that Halaster placed on you would cause you to die if you didn't..." Valen just smiled now. Some how he knew what she was going to say next.

"The what now?" Lilith asked, blinking up at Valen.

The tiefling couldn't help but laugh. Only Lilith would forget that there was a spell locked into her soul, forcing her to do something.

The aasimar turned bright red, realizing what he was talking about. "Well... I was going to help out anyway since Nathyrra wanted to ask for my help!" She tried to explain. "The whole geas thing seemed unimportant, since I'd be here anyway... and... and..." Lilith stamped her food as Valen stopped laughing and shook his head. 

"Lilith, you are one of a kind." Valen chuckled, the last of the laughter dying away.

Lilith stared at him, a little stunned.

"What?" The tiefling asked, frowning a tad.

"You've never said my name before. That was the first time." Lilith said, watching him with wide eyes.

Valen was startled by the innocence of her voice, and had to think for a moment. "Haven't I used it before?"

"No." Lilith said, shaking her head. "It's always 'sorcerer', or 'my lady', or 'celestial' when you get mad or frustrated with me." 

"Oh." Valen said, fidgeting uncomfortably. Lilith was still staring at him. Slowly, though, she started to smile, and the tiefling relaxed a little bit.

Once again, just like that, everything was okay between the aasimar and the tiefling. The remaining tension between them had lessened once more, and there was a sort of ease between the two of them

It was remarkable how much good one decent fight could do.

´ 

"No." Valen said firmly, shaking his head.

The group had made a small camp on outskirts of the strange town that had appeared out of nowhere. They had managed to send the town and the winged elves back to the surface with enough ease, but Cavallas hadn't come back with the boat to get them yet. Apparently ferrymen were very busy.

Lilith had made some sort of stew with special rations she kept in her pack. Valen had so far refused to try the aasimar's cooking. At first it had been simple mistrust, now it had sort of become a game.

"Try the damn stew Valen" Lilith said with an exasperated sigh. Sometimes she was annoyed with Valen, but by and large she enjoyed these odd games that had established themselves in their lives. 

"Believe it or not, the kid actually isn't that bad a cook." Illa chirped from his spot near the fire.

"I'm sorry, but I'm fine with my rations." Valen said, shaking his head. 

"If you try the stew and honestly don't like it, I'll put a silence spell on Illa for a week." Lilith said simply.

"Wait, what?" The pseudo-dragon said, looking up and blinking. 

"Promise?" The tiefling asked, raising an eyebrow at the aasimar.

"Swear on my eyes." She sang, setting a hand over her heart in salute. 

Valen couldn't help the smirk that spread across his lips at that moment. "Deal."

Valen was just reaching for the spoon in the stew pot when the hairs on the back of his neck rose. It was an old feeling that he got whenever enemies were nearby.

The tiefling was on his feet in a breath, weapon in hand and his eye's scanning the area around them, taking every detail of their surroundings.

Lilith whipped her staff up and stood as soon as she realized what was going on.

"Twelve of them at least." Valen said quietly, his tail lashing about as he tried to pick out the drow's positions. "Must be Sabal's back up." 

"Damn..." Lilith breathed, her hand tight on her staff, ready to start casting at a moments notice. "Well, I got your back."

A flicker of a smile showed on Valen's face at her words, but it faded when the drow emerged from their hiding places and the battle began. 

A battle with a group of draw was never a pleasant experience. They hid themselves in whatever the shadows of the Underdark provided, and only emerged to strike at you when you weren't looking. Fortunately, Valen found that if you could get a solid hit in on them, they would usually stay down.

The small group worked effectively together, making the battle a little easier. Deekin usually stuck near Lilith to cover her with the cross bow, Illa circled and caused distractions, and Valen took down as many of the enemies as he could while Lilith covered them all with her arsenal of spells.

Working together, the group was quickly able to dwindle the attacking drow's numbers. However, accidents do still happen, and injuries are incurred with every fight. Never was there a battle where no one was hurt, and this law was not going to change at any time in the foreseeable future.

"To your left, Betty!" Illa called down from his vantage point high above the battle ground.

Valen quickly struck down the drow assassin that had tried to sneak up on him. Despite his obvious dislike of the dragon, the tiefling had to admit that he came in handy.

Suddenly, though, Valen was very aware that something was terribly wrong.

The tiefling heard Lilith cry out in pain before he saw Illa fall from the air and plummet to the ground. Valen moved quickly to Lilith's side, her knee's having given out and her body trembling. There were only a couple of attacker's left, but it wouldn't be a good idea to leave her unattended until she got her bearings again.

"Illa... we need to check Illa." Lilith gasped as she tried to catch her breath, pushing herself up to her feet. Suddenly she was terrified. There had been times when Lilith or Illa had been injured, and the other had felt it. However, in all occasions that it had happened, one of them had been severely hurt.

"Deekin find!" Deekin volunteered happily, jumping a little as he ran to find the other reptile.

"Please, Valen, we have to find Illa." Lilith said, trying to take a step forward, but her legs turning to jelly.

"Easy, my lady." Valen said as he caught the aasimar by the shoulders and helped support her. "I'm sure he's fine. This isn't the first time he's been hurt in battle."

"Boss..." 

The kobold's voice, small and scared as it was, quickly shot down what Valen had said.

"Illa." Lilith shrugged Valen off, moving as quickly as she could in Deekin's direction. A horrible feeling of foreboding was constricting Lilith's chest, threatening to crush her and drag her to the ground. Something horrible had happened. She could feel it, and though she was terrified of confirming what she thought to be true, she had to see for herself and know for sure.

The sorcerer stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted her beloved familiar. Illa was lying on the ground, his eye's open and a wicked looking arrow running through his abdomen, blood pooling around his still form.

Illa, Lilith's oldest and only friend, was lying dead before her.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Lilith stood before Illa's still form for a long while, no one daring to speak a word. She had expected herself to cry, or scream out, but instead she felt an odd numbness overtake her being.

Illa had been the closest thing she had to family, her only real friend in all the world. Now she was essentially alone and friendless in a world that still seemed alien to her. She had no one now, and she had nothing.

Quietly she made a decision, a plan to be carried out after they returned to camp. She resolved herself to her choice, and in addition to deepening the numb feeling that had stolen over her, it brought a sort of eerie peace.

"Boss...?" Deekin's voice sounded far away, as if he had been afraid to speak. However, he tugged Lilith's sleeve, and gazed up at her imploringly. 

She was going to miss the kobold.

"Yes, Deekin?" Lilith's voice sounded hollow in her own ears, as if she wasn't truly awake and she was walking in a dream.

"Illa..." Deekin took a deep breath, fidgeting and struggling for words. "Illa really be dead?" He squeaked, tear's forming around his reptilian eyes.

"Silence, kobold!" Valen hissed dangerously, causing Deekin to flinch back and hide himself in Lilith's skirts. "Don't ask such inane questions when you can see the facts right before your eyes."

The aasimar knew the tiefling meant well. He probably thought that she was going to have trouble processing the situation. Though Valen may not have liked Illa, he knew how much she loved her familiar. 

Lilith wasn't having any problems dealing with the situation, though. It had given her the resolve and fortitude to decide something she had been struggling with since as far back as Drogan's school.

"Yes." Lilith said quietly. "Yes, Illa is dead."

"My lady, are you... are you going to be all right?" The tiefling's voice was tentative and careful, trying to broach the question with caution.

"I'm going to be just fine." She said, turning from both Valen and Deekin and heading in the direction of the now waiting boat.

Yes. Everything was going to be just fine. All she had to do was hold on a little longer, just until they got to the drow camp. Then all she had to do was get a few minutes alone.

Everything was going to be fine.

´ 

The Seer listened quietly while Valen explained what had happened on the island with the strange town.

"I believe she's in her room now." Valen said. "She seems to be in a state of shock; as if she hasn't yet realized that her familiar is dead. She won't talk about what happened, and seems pretty shut down emotionally. All I can do is guess at what she's feeling."

The tiefling shifted, looking away from the Seer. It would have been an understatement to say he was worried about Lilith. He knew what it was like to lose someone close to you, knew it was never easy to handle. For the aasimar, however, who was so introverted and seemingly low on friends and self-esteem, the loss of her familiar must have weighed down on her unbearably.

The aasimar had gone back to not looking directly at the tiefling, and spoke only when spoken to. She seemed like she was in a daze, moving like a sleepwalker and almost unaware of her surroundings.

Suddenly Valen had the urge to go find her, make sure she was okay.

"Would that we had time, that the Valsharess wasn't breathing down out necks, we would be able to do more for her." The Seer sighed, placing a hand to her temple and trying to think. "As cold as this may sound, we need Lilith functioning properly again soon. Her magic and analytical skills will be necessary for a confrontation with the Valsharess."

Valen nodded, though he didn't like what the Seer said any more than she must have. "What are we to do?" He asked at last, looking back to the Seer.

The Seer considered the question for a moment before answering. "I think it's important that you stay with her, watch her emotional and mental state. It's also important, though, that she resume her missions as soon as possible."

Valen arched a brow at the Seer inquisitively, but made no reply.

"The best thing you can do for a depressed person, and she will likely be depressed, is make them resume their usual routine." The Seer explained. "Please Valen, trust me. It will be hard on Lilith at first, but the activity will keep her mind of what happened until she's ready to process it."

The tiefling said nothing. He knew the Seer was right, but that didn't mean he liked the situation in the least. Lilith shouldn't have had to do anything. Even with the Valsharess' forces closing in, she should have been able to take all the time she needed to recover from the tragedy that had befallen her.

Valen twitched in agitation. "I'm going to go find Lilith."

"You trust her then?" The Seer asked.

The tiefling hesitated for a moment before responding. "I don't think-- I KNOW she would never betray us, even if faced with death or torture."

Valen tried to ignore the smile that had spread across the Seer's lips as he turned to leave the room. He needed to find Lilith. It wasn't a good idea for the aasimar to be alone at the moment, and hadn't wanted to leave her after returning to the camp. However, various people demanded his attention, and he'd had to report to the Seer. 

It hadn't taken long to reach Lilith's room, but when he reached the room, he hesitated before knocking.

What did he expect to say to her? What did he think he could do? Would she even want him bothering her?

The tiefling fidgeted nervously. He had no idea why he cared so much about what she was going through, or why he wanted to help, but he had a strong feeling that she shouldn't be alone at this time. 

Valen knocked on the door, but there was no reply.

"My lady?" Valen called through the door, opening it a little and peering into the room.

The tiefling threw the door open, a sudden fear gripping at him and turning his blood cold.

No one was there.

"No one would even miss me if I died."

The gut feeling Valen had felt grew stronger, and he knew he had to find the aasimar as quickly possible He tried to keep calm and think of all the places she could have been, then left the public houses and began to search the camp.

The tiefling hoped against everything that he hadn't guessed right, but it was a logical guess and everything fit now that he thought about it.

The way she held herself, refusing to meet eye contact and keeping her head down. She second guessed herself and didn't trust her own opinion most of the time. The aasimar obviously had self-esteem issues, and didn't remotely like herself.

Deekin had once asked her how she wanted to be described in his book, and said he was describing her as a 'beautiful, angelic woman' when she asked how he was currently describing her.

She'd told the kobold not to lie, and all Valen had done was stare at her in disbelief. How Lilith could think she was anything less than absolutely gorgeous was beyond him. She was easily the most beautiful women he'd ever met, though he'd never admit it out loud.

"What's lost if I die, Shadowbreath? Is the world any worse off?"

Then, after Illa died, she'd seemed so calm and resolved. Valen had wished he'd asked her more about herself so he could read her reactions better.

As far as he could tell, though, and from all he had seen and experienced himself, all the signs were there. It was vitally important that he find Lilith, and find her soon.

No matter how hard he looked, though, the aasimar was nowhere to be found.

Valen smashed a hand against a wall so hard that several people stopped and stared. He couldn't be too late, he simply COULDN'T be. He wouldn't allow himself to be.

The damnable woman had to be in the camp somewhere e.

"Drowning would be the best way to die, I think."

Suddenly Valen knew where she was and he took off, running as fast as he could for the docks.

The docks would be deserted at this point; there'd be no one to stop her if she decided to...

Valen stopped at the shoreline of the Dark River, breathing a sigh of relief as he caught his breath.

Lilith was sitting on a crate near the edge of the dock, gazing into the rapid waters before her.

He had to handle this just right, or all would be lost. Valen remembered that much, remembered the utterly lost and hopeless feeling that came with this situation, came with where Lilith was sitting now. 

"Lilith." The tiefling spoke the sorcerer's name firmly, trying to command her attention without appearing threatening.

This was a delicate balancing act, and he prayed he could pull it off. 

It was a long moment before Lilith turned her head in Valen's direction, her eyes blank and focused on nothing in particular.

Good. That was a start. She wasn't completely lost yet.

Valen extended a hand in her direction. "Lilith, come here."

At first the aasimar didn't move, and turned her gaze back to the water. She'd stood eventually, taking a step closer to the edge of the dock. 

Valen felt a jolt of utter terror grip him, and his heart started to pound in his chest.

"Lilith!" He spoke her name more urgently this time, and he gladly felt a surge of triumph when she stopped and turned to face him. He kept his hand extended to her and gave her an imploring look. "Please, Lilith, come here."

This time there was no hesitation. The aasimar took step after slow step towards the tiefling, her footfalls light and unsure. When she reached him, Valen reached out for her and pulled her tightly to him. 

Lilith was limp in his arms, and seemed no better than she had a moment before, but he had managed to get her away from the water's edge, and that in itself said there was still something in her to save. Valen would never be able to explain the immense relief he felt at that moment, and didn't think there was anything in the world that could make him let go of her.

"You should have let me do it."

Valen was startled by her voice. The sound was so small, so quiet, he wasn't sure at first if she had spoken at all. He'd had to consciously stop himself from instinctively tightening his grip on her. She'd sounded so hurt he could barely stand it.

"My lady, no matter how--"

"You don't understand." Lilith mewled, cutting him off and burying her face in his chest as she began to cry.

"Then explain to me." Valen said, running a hand through her hair now. It was the only thing he could think of to do. It was an action that had helped sooth her nightmares, and he hoped that it would help her now as she let out a series of pitiful sobs.

"I don't have anyone else! Illa was it. No one even came looking for me. If it wasn't for him I'd have been totally alone." Lilith's words were hard to make out through the tears, and if the tiefling hadn't been holding her, she wouldn't have been able to support her own weight because of the energy that went into the crying.

"What do you mean?" Valen asked, brow knit in confusion.

Lilith's body was shaking from the tears, but she tried to calm herself, tried to collect herself so she could explain. "My... my late mentor found me in a blizzard. I was almost dead and couldn't remember a thing. I still can't remember anything that happened more than three years ago. No one ever came looking for me, though I stayed put for a year. Illa's been all the family I've ever had, and the only real friend. And now..."

Lilith was crying again, and this time Valen did tighten his grip on her. 

He'd had no clue that she couldn't remember who she really was; she was so quiet and kept to herself so much. It defiantly explained why she was so uncertain of herself, though, and why she was so nervous all the time.

As hard as the tiefling's life had been, he wasn't sure how he would handle not being able to remember it. He wasn't sure how he would handle waking up one day with no memory of himself whatsoever.

The aasimar made no move to resist Valen as he picked her up, cradling her small, trembling form effortlessly against his chest.

"Let's get you back to your room." He breathed and started walking. 

Lilith, who had buried her face in his shoulder blade and had dissolved completely into tears, made no reply. Valen thought she deserved some measure of privacy while she was in this state, and hoped that the confines of her room would help her feel safe.

He was just glad that the hard part was over. He had gotten her off the dock safely, and she was expressing some kind of emotion.

When they arrived at her room, Valen had closed the door and set her down gently on her bed. Immediately Lilith had curled up as small as she could, but held tightly onto one of the tiefling's hands.

"Don't leave." She begged him quietly, looking up at him with tear soaked eyes that were filled with fear.

Valen's mouth went dry, and his heart threatened to stop in his chest, but he nodded to the aasimar. "I promise I won't leave. I'll be right here when you wake up."

The aasimar stared at the tiefling uncertainly for a long moment, but finally she nodded and closed her eyes. Though she didn't let go of his hand, eventually the exhaustion from all her tears overtook her and her grip went slack as sleep claimed her.

Valen let out a deep sigh of relief as he sank to the floor, leaning back against the bed and running a hand back through his hair.

That had been close. Too close.

Though Lilith seemed to be safe now, and had come out of her stupor, Valen had a rather large problem on his hands.

He'd cared too much about what was going to happen to the aasimar, had been too scared when he figured out what her plan was. Lately Valen had caught himself looking for the aasimar out of the corner of his eye, taking close note of when she smiled or laughed. He kept close watch on her in battle, wanting to make sure she stayed safe. And out of battle, when she sang, when she moved, when she looked at him... there were times when she stunned him completely and made his knees go weak.

Lord... was he ever in trouble.

´ 

Lilith wasn't sure how long she had been asleep for, but when she woke up, the first thing she looked for was the tiefling.

Valen sat on the floor, his back against her bed, reading one of the books she had stacked against the wall.

"You have the oddest taste in poetry, my lady." Valen mused as he turned a page. "One would peg you for a fluff and sunshine woman. This is rather morbid stuff."

Lilith couldn't help but smile. "Fluff and sunshine is all well and dandy, but it's the sad things, the darker things that have substance and strike at your heart."

Valen shook his head. "You are so queer." He said, turning his head to look at her now as he closed the book and set it aside. "How are you feeling?"

Lilith paused, considering her response. "Better than before. I'll be fine... eventually." She grimaced. The aasimar sat silently for a moment, then met Valen's gaze. "Thank you for your help, Valen. I'd be in the river now if you hadn't stepped in. I promise not to scare you like that again."

Valen looked away from her and mumbled something in response that the aasimar couldn't understand, but she still smiled and shook her head. 

Lilith swung her legs over the side of her bed and considered for a moment. "I think... I think it's time to grow up." She said contemplatively.

Valen looked up at Lilith, arching a brow.

Lilith stood, going over to her mirror and dresser. "Okay, so I'm basically alone in the world." She said simply. "I need to stop depending on other's so much. I'm not saying I have to shut people out or anything, but I need to be more independent." She declared as she pulled out a pair of scissors. "I can't be going to pieces every time something bad happens. It's just not... practical? Is practical the word I want?"

"I think so. What are you doing?" Valen asked as he stood, watching her curiously. Lilith seemed to be better, but there was an odd resilience in her now that hadn't been there before. Like something had changed in her. The tiefling hoped it was a good change. 

"Physical change to reflect the inner change." Lilith said as she snapped her fingers, the room brightening suddenly. It was then that Lilith brushed out her waist length hair, and took the scissors to it. 

Valen watched in shock. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it hadn't been that. "My lady, are you sure you want to do that?" 

"Calm down, Valen. I'm not taking all of it off." Lilith said. "Just some of it. Besides, do you have any idea how hard it is to take care of hair this long?"

Valen watched her as she cut her hair. The whole process took about half an hour, and when she was done, her hair swept about her shoulder blades. There was more of a wave and a curl to her hair now that it was shorter, and Valen couldn't help but stare.

"SO!" Lilith sang as she turned to Valen, shaking her hair out. "How do I look?"

Color rushed to Valen's cheeks, turning them a deep red. "You look... absolutely stunning." He finally managed.

"Good." Lilith said, and then went over to Valen. "And thank you again. I owe you my life." She said, leaning up on her tip-toes and kissing the tiefling on the cheek.

Valen's eyes went wide and the scarlet of his face deepened. He stared at her, struggling for words.

Lilith just laughed though, pleased with his reaction. "Come! I'm sick of being idle. Let's find Deekin and take care of those beholders. Then I've an idea or two on how to handle the illithid. You can tell me YOUR life story on the way."

Lilith gathered up her fallen hair and headed for the door. Valen needed a moment to compose himself before he followed. Something about all this seemed too easy.

It seemed that everything was going to be okay after all. The tiefling seemed to of managed to help the aasimar though her time of pain, and whatever tension had been between them initially was completely gone. 

Things are never as simple as they seem, though.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Valen observed Lilith carefully over the days following Illa's death. Though she appeared before them all with a steely new resolve and a confidence he had never seen in her before, he couldn't help but feel it was all some massive deception. Unfortunately, the tiefling had had no chance to express his concerns to the aasimar. After returning from defeating the beholders she had been spending most of her time locked away in a makeshift magic lab with several other magic user's from among the drow, or speaking with the camp's blacksmith. 

Apparently Lilith's work had something to do with her ideas for handling the illithid, and it wasn't until she was ready to tell the Seer her plan that Valen himself found out what it was.

"It's all wonderfully simple in theory, you see." Lilith said as she stood before the Seer and a few of the other rebels in the Temple of Lolth, Valen watching from the background. The aasimar managed to command the drow's attention impressively, and her voice held a tone of authority that Valen had never heard from her before. "After meeting with them, I have decided I am simply not willing to negotiate with the illithid. Yes, they are a dangerous foe, but with the right strategy we can eliminate them effectively enough." 

"What do you propose we do?" The Seer asked the aasimar, watching her intently.

"We're going to give them what they want." Lilith said, smirking to herself as a murmur of disapproval ran through the crowd.

Valen knew better than to make any assumptions about Lilith's plan until he heard everything she had to say. From what he had learned about the sorcerer, her ability to conceive the inconceivable and use it to her advantage was not something to be underestimated. The tiefling had learned this fact when she first explained her views on his demonic side.

Lilith removed from a cloth swaddling near her a large, ornate mirror. "This is a magic mirror that Valen and I recovered from an island not far from here with the help of... my companions."

Valen's eyes locked on Lilith at her hesitation. Whenever she had to speak of their previous exploits, when Illa was still alive, he'd noticed she'd had to hesitate and compose herself. It was one of the things that made him think she wasn't as stable emotionally at this point as she seemed.

Lilith continued right on, though. "This mirror allows the user to peer into different areas. Allows the user to spy on people, if you will." Lilith paused to observe the onlookers, all of whom were watching her silently once more. "However, it also corrupts the user. Warp's the mind until the person becomes a paranoid, wretched version of who they once were. Of course, illithid, for the most part, are already rather wretched and paranoid."

"You propose to use this to our advantage." The Seer said, a small smile crossing her lips as she began to comprehend Lilith's plan.

Valen was willing to wait for Lilith to explain, not being one for magic in the first place. Things were slowly starting to piece together, though, when he saw Lilith give a pleasant nod.

"Precisely." Lilith half sang. "It has taken some time, but the other mages and I have managed to... edit the mirrors properties, shall we say?" Lilith put the mirror away at this point, and was looking extremely pleased with herself. "The mirror now has a sort of mind poison in the magics of it. When I hand it over to the Elder Brain of Zor'vak Mur, the enchantments will immediately go to work." Lilith hesitated, scanning the crowd to see if an explanation was necessary. "The Elder Brain is connected to all the illithid in the settlement. Once the mirror has been given to the Elder Brain, but before it speaks to the Over Mind, the enchantments will go to work and destroy the minds of the illithid in the settlement. It's not much, but it will decrease the number of illithid close to our camp, thereby decreasing the number of them we will have to fight when they eventually attack."

"Why can't we increase the enchantments on the mirror, strengthen the mind poison, and take out all the illithid? Why can't we let the enchantment spread to the Over Mind and destroy everyone it's connected to?"

Several people jumped when one of the drow interrupted Lilith to ask their question. Lilith had commanded the attention of the room so completely that it seemed almost a blasphemy to disturb her explanations.

Valen's eyes, still trained on the aasimar, had a good idea what her response would be. However, he still felt a rush of relief and inexplicable affection for her as she voiced her logical, then moral view on the situation.

"The time it would take to strengthen the enchantments on the mirror to cause that kind of devastation is beyond us at the moment. It would take months of intense work to accomplish a feat of that kind." Lilith said evenly. Her eye's coolly observed the crowd after she expressed her practical view. Lips pursed and body ridged, she then continued her explanation. "However, even if we had the time and resources to take out all the illithid, I do NOT condone mass genocide. The idea of an inherently evil race is stupid. The lot of you should know that best of all. I will not condemn the minority of illithid who aren't evil simply because of the actions of the majority."

Valen couldn't hold back the grin that spread across his face, and noticed the Seer smiling too. Lilith's compassion seemed to hold no bounds, and Valen was somewhat thankful for that quality in her.

Several drow took on an almost ashamed look, the finality in Lilith's voice discouraging anyone from questioning her decision.

Lilith waited from the room to quiet again before she continued. "There are also the slaves and gladiators of the settlement to consider." Lilith said. "This is a perfect opportunity to bolster our ranks." She grinned as she observed the drow of the room intently. "Now I don't know about you, but if I was in their position, I'd be rather ticked off and ready to take a chunk out of someone. I propose we offer those who wish it a chance to join us in our fight. The gladiators, I think, will prove exceptionally useful. Many of use here know all too well that you learn to fight best when you're fighting to survive."

Once again, an excited murmur ran through the crowd.

Valen couldn't help but grin, his tail twitching in anticipation. "And the people who don't want to fight? The people who can't fight? What becomes of them?" He called over the crowd. The tiefling knew what she was going to say, already knew what her position on the question would be. By this point in the time Valen had known Lilith he was able to anticipate the aasimar's reactions on various subjects. However, he felt an unbearable need to hear her say what he already knew.

Lilith grinned, apparently recognizing the tiefling's voice. "We offer them amnesty, of course!" She sang. "The option to help us fight is simply that: an option. Those who don't wish to fight will be free to go, or free to stay in our camp. Salvation is NOT a conditional thing. It's for everyone."

The aasimar spoke with such a heated vehemence that several people in the crowd cheered and applauded, the tiefling included. Valen had to admit, no matter how worried he was about Lilith, he rather enjoyed this side of her. It was a thrill to hear her speak, and her confidence and enthusiasm infected everyone in the room, inspiring an odd kind of hope that they hadn't had in ages.

The tiefling couldn't help but think this was how Lilith should be: proud and confident, radiating passion and instilling hope while being smug in the intricacies of her beautiful logic.

Too bad it was all a lie. Too bad that no matter how much he tried to ignore it, the tiefling always noticed how her smile never reached her eye's, and that whenever she paused she seemed unspeakably tired. 

Valen had no time to run this over in his mind, though, for the aasimar had raised her small hands to quiet the room so she could begin speaking again.

"I have one last point for you all, something that should set your minds, literally, at ease." Lilith reached into her pocket, pulling out a simple ring that appeared to be made from recycled metal. "The second bit of wonderful that the other's and I have been working on with our dear blacksmith's help." The aasimar handed the ring off to one of the drow, then motioned for it to be passed around. "A while ago I acquired a helmet that protects the mind from the telepathic abilities of the illithid, and it gave me an idea. Since mass producing replications of the helmets is beyond our current means, we have gone to work enchanting rings with every mind protection spell we could think of as well as a handy little enchantment that utters a telepathic pulse." Lilith hesitated here, grinning from ear to ear as she observed the room. "The pulse will have the effect on the illithid that high pitched noises have on dogs. It will be very unpleasant for them, and should make it so that they can't stand being close enough to our soldiers to do anything like eat their brains. We've also jerry rigged a special one of these up for me to wear while delivering the mirror so that they don't suspect anything is wrong."

Once more the room broke out into cheers and applause. The tiefling had to admit, it was a rather ingenious set of plans, and he could only imagine the effort she had put into them. He refrained from joining in with the cheers this time, though. Valen took this moment to carefully analyze Lilith, trying to discern some small piece of what she was really feeling.

The aasimar held herself with straight posture, observing the room easily. Her shoulder's sagged, though, and there were heavy bags under her eye's. She hadn't been sleeping, hadn't been eating, and though her demeanor was strong and powerful, he was positive she'd found time over the past few days to cry.

The Seer was speaking, voicing her gratitude to Lilith, but the tiefling wasn't listening. All of Valen's attention was focused on the aasimar, trying to discern some small way of helping her in her hour of need, and the undeniable desire he felt to protect her from whatever she was feeling.

´ 

It was getting easier to convince the world, and herself, that she was fine.

Lilith knew that so long as she kept busy she would be able to deny the well of depression and hopelessness that was building in her, and thusly did all she could to keep moving. She refused to let herself become preoccupied with her own grief.

The aasimar had been selfish, she knew this to be true. She knew it when she saw Valen waiting for her to wake up in her room after taking her from the docks. She had scared him, that much had been plain. She had almost abandoned people who needed her help. Lilith had no right to be sad when they needed her so much, and she had no right to inflict her sadness on other people. It was childish, and she had to grow up. 

So the aasimar cried in private, and she kept her feelings to herself. They needed her to be strong.

"Wonderful performance."

Valen startled Lilith as he fell into stride beside her. She had just left the temple after her presentation, and though she knew he had been in the audience she hadn't expected him to come looking for her afterwards. In fact, she had been fairly certain that after making such a fool out of herself at the docks, he would never want anything to do with her again.

Lilith couldn't help but feel relieved that she hadn't been right.

"Thank you." She said pleasantly, though avoided looking at Valen. His tone was too casual, like he was up to something. "The presentation took hours to prepare. I have to admit, I was more nervous than I appeared."

"Not that performance. I meant the one where you pretended to be fine." Valen stopped Lilith now, putting his hands on her shoulders so she couldn't get away from him. The tiefling had a feeling that if the aasimar could avoid this conversation, she would do so without hesitation. He wouldn't have that. Not now.

Lilith blinked up at Valen, struggling for words. "But... I AM fine." 

"And I'm the daughter of a wealthy merchant." Valen snorted, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, Lilith. When are you planning on dealing with everything?" His voice was gentler this time, not wanting to discourage her from letting him in. Few times in life had Valen cared so much about what another person was feeling, and more than anything he wanted to help Lilith now.

"Never." Lilith said at last, taking a shaking breath. She looked away from Valen, not wanting to meet his gaze. She didn't want to analyze this part of herself. She was scared of what she knew to be true, and knew that voicing these fears to Valen would only make them real, which would seriously screw up her denial. "What I'm feeling is irrelevant. I don't want to bore you with the details."

Valen felt a stab of annoyance. She thought so little of herself, honestly didn't think her feelings mattered in comparison to the needs and feelings of everyone else. He had to wonder what had happened to cause such damage to Lilith's self-esteem. Her lack of memory could attribute to part of her uncertainty, but it would have taken years of conditioning to wear her self-esteem down that low.

Valen took one hand from her shoulder and turned her face so she was looking at him. "Bore me with the details. It's relevant to me." He said firmly.

Lilith gazed up at Valen, meeting his steady blue eyes. Suddenly she knew why those eyes of his had scared her, why they still scared her a little now. His gaze was so intense, so penetrating, that it was almost like he could see into your soul. The cold blue of them threatened to pull you in and drag you down into their depths then never let you go. They were eye's you could drown in, lose yourself in completely.

Eyes you could fall in love with.

Lilith had to take a minute to remember how to speak, unable to look away from him and at the same time, never wanting to. "I..." She took a long, deep breath. "I'm tired of being afraid. I'm tired of being helpless and understanding. I want to be mad, or unreasonable. However, I know at the same time, that none of it really matters." 

"What do you mean?" Valen asked. He had to focus on her words very carefully to stop his mind from focusing on how close she was to him. Her skin was wonderfully soft and warm under the hand he still had on her cheek. She smelled fresh and crisp like winter, mixed in with some indescribable blueberry scent. It took all his will power not to wonder if she tasted like she smelled.

Lilith felt herself begin to tremble, and though she knew she shouldn't say what she was about to say, she also knew she couldn't stop herself. "What I mean is that I have no family, nowhere to go, and no hope of any sort of peace in life whatsoever. I'm going to keep drifting through life because no place feels like home. No matter where I go I'll always feel out of place, and no matter how hard I try, I'll always feel like I don't belong. At least when I had Illa, I wasn't alone. But now..." The aasimar had to pause, knowing that the next part would be hardest to say. "Now I'm alone, and no matter how hard I try to deny it and be self-reliant, the fact remains that at some point after I leave here the walls will start closing in again and I'll try to kill myself once more. Only next time, you won't be there to stop me. The only reason I didn't throw myself in the river this time was because you asked me not to. I think I would do anything you asked, just because you asked me."

Lilith's words had become progressively quieter as she spoke, but Valen still heard what she said last. She'd come off the dock only because he'd asked her. His heart was beating so quickly he thought it would burst from his chest.

"Then stay!" Valen implored. "Stay here. Stay with--" He'd had to stop himself from saying 'me', and took a deep breath to collect himself. "Stay with us. Don't condemn yourself to that kind of life. Don't let yourself be miserable." He was almost desperate. She'd basically declared that after they parted ways at the end of the war, she was going to kill herself. That scared Valen more than anything he had ever faced in the Blood Wars. "No one here belongs anywhere! You... you could stay here. You could belong here." 

Lilith couldn't think of anything to say in response. Every part of her body and heart screamed for her to close the gap between them and claim his pale lips. She restrained herself, though, not nearly bold enough for such an action.

"Please." Valen repeated. "Stay here."

"Okay." Lilith breathed at last. "I'll stay."

´ 

The plan to defeat the illithid went off without a hitch, and they'd acquired more new recruits than they had expected. There had been the usual complications, of course, including some fighting on the way out of Zor'vak Mur and one or two illithid that had not died. Fortunately, though, the vast work and energy that Lilith and the other mages put into the adaptations had been effective, and the aasimar's plan had worked.

It was when Lilith and her companions returned to the Seer's camp that an unpleasant surprise cropped up in the form of a letter.

A messenger from the camp had told Lilith the letter had arrived while she was gone, and no one had any idea where it had come from. The aasimar recognized the seal on the letter, though, and she couldn't help the frustrated groan.

"My lady?" Valen arched a brow at Lilith as she eyed the letter. The tiefling was asking himself the same questions everyone else must have been asking: who would send Lilith a letter, and who would know where to send it?

Lilith tore open the letter, her suspicions confirmed in a wave of annoyance. "It's from Coleta Amoliana." She said with an aggravated sigh, shaking her head. Just when she was starting to feel better about herself and her situation... it made sense that Coleta would show up. "Who is apparently behind the exploits at Drearing's Deep."

"And who is this Coleta?" Valen asked, still confused.

"A necromancer." Lilith said. Oh, this was a conversation she was going to love. Just when it seemed Valen was warming up to her... once again, it figured Coleta would show up. "An incredibly evil necromancer. I've crossed paths with her before. For some reason, we're friends."

Valen gave Lilith an incredulous look. "You're FRIENDS with the evil necromancer?"

Lilith shifted uncomfortably. "Well, whenever we run into each other, she stops doing evil stuff and goes away... which sort of bodes well for us." Lilith pointed out. Of course, things were more complicated than that.

"And what aren't you telling me?" Valen asked and crossed his arms. He didn't like this in the slightest, and had a feeling it was only going to get worse.

The aasimar cleared her throat, looking away from the tiefling. Only way to get this out in the open was to just say it. "We've sort of... uh... slept together. Several times." She mumbled.

Valen's eyes went wide and he struggled for words, unable to believe what Lilith just said. He wasn't sure which part shocked him more: the fact that Lilith slept with women, or the fact that she had slept with someone who was currently helping the Valsharess try to kill them.

"You sleep with women?" Even Valen was surprised by his choice of issues to focus on.

"It's not that I don't like men, it's just that most make me uncomfortable. I mean… uh… that is… not that I feel uncomfortable around you… just…" Lilith squeaked, wanting to make sure that point was clear, and failing horribly. It was odd, she'd never had a problem explaining her bisexuality before. "And really, she's rather nice! You completely forget that she animates corpses after you spend five minutes with her, and I can probably convince her to desert the Valsharess. Coleta seems to like my friendship more than being evil, and she REALLY likes evil."

Valen's tail snapped, and he started to growl. He couldn't believe that this situation was occurring. Just when thought he had the aasimar figured out, she dropped some kind of bomb on him. "You mean you're going to go see her?"

"Well what else am I supposed to do? She wrote to me to invite me to come talk." Lilith sighed.

The tiefling's eye's flashed red briefly and he ground his teeth. "What if she tries to... I mean... what if... she probably invited you to... You are NOT going to go see her. It just isn't safe." Valen snapped. He didn't like the idea of Lilith having sex with some woman, least of all someone who was trying to kill them. Then again, he didn't like the idea of the aasimar lying with anyone. Whoever she lay with likely wouldn't be good enough for her. Not that he was going to tell her that this was why he was concerned.

"Please, Valen, try to be reasonable." Lilith pleaded. She knew he wouldn't take this well, knew he would over react. It wasn't like she was planning on sleeping with Coleta, not like she EVER planned on sleeping with Coleta. It was sort of one of those things that just… happened. "This isn't going well at all." She sighed, feeling a little hopeless. This was wonderful. Now Valen was going to think she was actually involved with Coleta. Why did the tiefling have to be so thick headed?

Then something hit the aasimar. Something clicked into place.

This WASN'T going well. He WAS over reacting. "Valen... are you... jealous?" Lilith asked, eyes wide and locked on the tiefling. 

Valen gave a start. "No!" He said sharply. Was he jealous? He wasn't jealous, was he? Oh gods, he was jealous. Worst of all, she seemed to know he was jealous. The tiefling turned a shade of red that rivaled his hair and looked away from Lilith. "I... am simply concerned for my lady's well being. You've been through a lot and--"

"You ARE jealous." Lilith said, eyes locked on the tiefling in awe. "You don't want me sleeping with her."

"D-do you have to be so..." So blunt? So right? How was Valen supposed to finish that sentence? His blush deepened, though, and he couldn't help but stare at the aasimar. "I mean... It's just... Will you stop looking at me that way? I said I'm not jealous!"

A smile graced Lilith's lips, a warm and contented feeling stealing over her as she watched the tiefling. "Valen... I..." She shook her head, then approached the tiefling and met his gaze. Those beautiful eyes of his. Those beautiful, beautiful eyes. "You really have nothing to worry about." She whispered, gently reaching up and running her hands back through his silken hair. "I'm not going to let Coleta touch me. There's someone else I'm interested in, in case you haven't noticed."

This time she didn't deny herself what she wanted to do more than anything, what she had first done while he had slept.

One hand slipped behind Valen's neck, while the other took hold of one of his horns. Valen seemed confused as she pulled him down to her level, causing her to hesitate for just a second and grin. Then she rose up on the balls of her feet and met his lips with her own.

The tiefling would have been shocked or confused had he been able to think at that moment. He would have asked himself why in the world she would want to kiss him, why she would be remotely interested in him. Thusly, it was very fortunate that he couldn't think far past the wonderfully warm woman pressed against him, assaulting his mouth with a passion he didn't know could exist. All he could think to do was lock his arms around her waist and kiss her back.

She tasted like blueberries. She tasted like blueberries and it was driving him mad.

Lilith was delirious in the pleasure and the pressure of their kiss. She'd never dreamed that she'd let herself do something like this, that she would ever be this close to Valen. He felt so warm and safe against her, or rather, he made her feel that way.

The aasimar had kissed other people before, and had been kissed, but standing here with Valen, held so tightly to his armored chest… It was a totally new experience. There was more ecstasy and perfection in his kiss than she'd ever known.

Lilith had to break the kiss. She knew if she didn't she would lose herself to him completely, and she couldn't let that happen just yet. It had taken everything she had to make herself pull away from Valen and push him back, a hand placed firmly on his chest.

They were both breathing heavily, and Valen was about to protest her breaking the kiss when she spoke.

"Here's what's going to happen, Valen." The sorcerer said simply. "I am going to go and see Coleta. Alone"

"Lilith, I--"

"Alone, Valen." Lilith said firmly, her fevered eyes meeting his now, noticing the same look of longing and desire that must have been in hers. "You're simply going to have to trust me that I'm not going to let her touch me. In the mean time..." Lilith paused, biting the tip of her tongue as she thought of how to speak the next part. "You know how I feel. What happens next, if anything, is up to you." 

And Lilith turned from Valen, walking away.

The tiefling stood there for a long moment, watching the aasimar's retreating form, his heart pounding violently and his pale skin flushed with heat. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt such a rush of emotion, felt such unbridled joy. When she'd broken the kiss, it had been like someone had torn a piece of his soul from him, and his arms felt cold and empty without her in them.

It would be hours before Valen managed to wipe the stupid grin from his face.


	8. Chapter 7

**This chapter contains explicit content.**

**Chapter Seven**

The amazing, wonderful cinnamon musk of Valen lingered with Lilith through her trip, mingling with the memory of the strong, sweet taste of him. His presence lingered with her even when she stood in Coleta's waiting room, far above Drearing's Deep in the fortress like temple.

The aasimar hadn't been waiting long, her lips pursed and her arms crossed, when the door flew open and the magnetic, charismatic woman sauntered in.

"Lilith! Angel! Oh, I cannot tell you how thrilled I am you've decided to visit!" Coleta's dark eyes were shining with genuine glee.

Coleta Amoliana was what one would call 'an arresting beauty'. Her curves were luscious, and her skin a wonderful alabaster hue with flushed cheeks and deeply colored lips. Her eyes were a wonderful, rich brown that was offset by the thick, glorious waves of black hair that tumbled down her back. Of course, she wore ornate black robes with simplistic silver jewelry. More than her appearance, though, Coleta had a way of capturing people's attention, a confidence that radiated from her and dared people to defy her.

She moved now to hug Lilith, but Lilith took a step back and glared at Coleta fiercely.

"What the hell, Coleta?!" Lilith spat at the necromancer.

Coleta sighed, frowning now. "All right, Lilith, what moral high ground are you clinging to this time? What could I have possibly done to upset you?"

"What could you of...?" Lilith stared at Coleta in shock. "'Freed' slaves? A cult? VAMPIRES? Then there's this thing about a ritual sacrifice, and once again you've managed to push past the realms of evil into SUPER evil!" The sorcerer half yelled all this at the necromancer in absolute disgust.

"Oh. That." Coleta said, playing with her hair and sounding bored.

"Yes 'THAT'!" Lilith shot at her. "Once again, Coleta, WHAT THE HELL?"

This time Coleta laughed. "Oh fine, Lilith! If it really upsets you that much I'll shut down and move on. This place got rather boring a while ago anyway. I mean..." Coleta sighed, shaking her head. "It just wasn't a challenge! I lure in some slaves, find some gullible vampires, promise a draco-lich a bunch of bones, and bada-bing, bada-boom! Valsharess lady has an army of undead."

Lilith shook her head, scowling. It was disturbing how matter-of-factly Coleta could speak of things that were unspeakably evil. "Why are you even working for the Valsharess? Last time I checked you didn't care about power, it's all about the suffering. You're a torture girl, though, this is all fear and control based pain. I also recall you not caring about money, so why the hell are you here? What did the Valsharess offer you?"

In response to this, Coleta just clasped her hands in front of her and grinned contentedly.

Lilith almost gagged in revulsion. "Coleta!"

Coleta giggled and tossed her hair back. "She does the most wonderful things with her tongue, and bites in all the wrong places!" She said gleefully.

"I should have known." Lilith said, shuddering and feeling dirty just from standing near the necromancer. "I'm leaving, Coleta, and you better leave too!"

"Oh, Lilith!" Coleta looked stricken, going over to the aasimar and hugging one of her arms tightly. "I'll leave, I promise. Just please don't storm out this time. I'm sorry if I upset you, but you know I can't help it! I can't be anything other than what I am."

Lilith sighed, but relaxed a little. Coleta had a way of appealing to the sorcerer's logical side, and always managed to get her to forgive her for whatever she had done. Why Lilith let this happen every time they met was beyond her.

"Fine, but I'm not staying long. I need to get back to the Seer's camp." Lilith said reluctantly. It was true that the aasimar was desperate for friends, but sometimes she questioned the intelligence of maintaining a friendship with the necromancer.

Coleta waved her hand dismissively. "You should stay with me forever. I know you like having sex with me, and if you'd let me remove your conscience you'd like evil too."

"No, Coleta." Lilith said firmly. It was an offer Coleta made to the aasimar every time they met, and one she always turned down. "And we're not having sex this time."

Coleta looked at Lilith, eyes wide and her mouth opened in surprise. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"Other than the fact that you revolt me?" Lilith snorted.

"That's never stopped us before." Coleta pointed out. "As I recall, the self-loathing and shame was a turn on for you."

"I mean it, Coleta!" Lilith snapped, though her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Coleta watched Lilith for a long moment before a fiendish grin spread across her face. The necromancer began to glide towards Lilith, making the aasimar back up until she was pressed against the wall.

"What's her name?" Coleta purred, leaning forward so her nose was almost touching the aasimar's. Lilith couldn't help but notice the soft curves of the necromancer's breasts, or how wonderful she smelled. However, her body wasn't reacting to the other woman's as it normally did. Something had changed. This was usually the point where Lilith's heartbeat started to pick up and the heat began to uncoil between her legs. "Come on, Lilith! What's her name? Is she better than me?" Coleta grinned, then pressed herself gently against the aasimar, running a hand back through her hair. "Give me a chance to prove I'm better than her. Let me remind you."

"There is no other woman." Lilith said, looking away from Coleta and feeling very uncomfortable. She tried to shift away from Coleta, but the necromancer put her arms on either side of Lilith against the wall.

"A man, then?" Coleta asked, her eyes sparkling. "Oh, he must be something special!" Coleta sang. "I remember you being uncomfortable around men. Have you remembered why that is, yet?" Coleta asked, stepping back from Lilith now and allowing her room to breath.

"No." Lilith said, shaking her head, gratefully moving away from the wall and into the center of the room.

Coleta frowned, crossing her arms. "Very well, then." She said, observing Lilith for a long moment. "Well, I'll respect that you're interested in someone else, though I don't like the idea of losing one of my favorite playmates."

Lilith couldn't help the sigh of relief. "Thank you, Coleta. This hasn't been easy for me."

Once again, Coleta waved her hand dismissively. "I'm evil, darling, but there are some things I just will not do. There are reasons beyond the multiple orgasm that women are better than men. I have to say, though, I'm rather curious about this male that has captured your attention. Tell me, who is he?"

Lilith hesitated. Trusting Coleta was always a tricky path to tread. On the one hand, she had never intentionally tried to hurt Lilith, on the other hand... well, she WAS evil. "His name is Valen Shadowbreath." She said at last. "He's a weapons-master, a tiefling."

"A tiefling?" Coleta squealed like a little girl. "How perfectly fairy-tale! An angel and a demon. It's so..." The necromancer let out a dreamy sigh, and twirled about. "Morbid romantic!"

Lilith couldn't help but smile a bit as she watched Coleta dance about the room. This was the part of Coleta that Lilith liked, the part you got to see once you got past all the horrible things she was capable of.

"Have you kissed him? Do you love him?" Coleta clasped Lilith's hands in hers, looking at her with the sparkling eyes of a little girl who was listening to her older sister speak about her first boyfriend.

"I kissed him before I came here." Lilith said quietly, looking away from Coleta and smiling just a little at the memory of the fierce passion that had welled in her heart as she kissed Valen, and how much stronger it had gotten when he kissed her back.

Coleta sighed happily and pulled Lilith into a sweeping waltz that only she could hear the music for. "And?"

"And what?"

"And do you love him?" Coleta asked impatiently.

Lilith's gaze turned far away then, and she felt the warm feeling rush over her once again as she pondered the question.

"Yes. With all my heart."

* * *

"Valen?" A gentle knock sounded on Valen's door.

The tiefling sat straight up in his bed immediately, recognizing the voice on the other side of the door as Lilith's.

Valen had been trapped in training sessions and strategy meetings all day, and by the time he learned that the aasimar was back she had already gone to bed and it was well into evening. To say the least, he had been extremely disappointed. The tiefling still didn't completely understand what it was he felt for the aasimar, or why he was feeling it, but he knew he wanted to be around her long enough to find out.

He was up off the bed and at the door to his room in a matter of seconds. It didn't occur to him that all he was wearing was a pair of loose pants he wore to sleep in until the door was open.

Lilith stood in front of him now, her hair tousled from sleep, and dressed in a pale pink nightgown of some incredibly light fabric. Valen couldn't help but stare at her. It was the first time he'd seen her wear something that wasn't blue or white.

The aasimar had to swallow hard when she noticed Valen wasn't wearing a shirt, his glorious, muscled torso in full view in front of her. Her eyes lingered momentarily on the scar she had given him before she regained her senses and she spoke. "Something happened. We need to talk. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"I couldn't sleep anyway." Valen said, gesturing for her to come in, and then shutting the door behind her. He wasn't sure if inviting her in was the best of ideas, unsure if he could trust himself alone with her. Since she had kissed him the mere thought of her set his skin on fire and made his breathing shallow.

Lilith tried very hard not to look at Valen, knowing she'd lose her train of thought if she did. "The Valsharess came to me in a dream. She tried to seduce me, and she tried to get me to switch sides. I slapped her and told her 'no', which she did not take kindly to."

"So why are you telling me this?" Valen asked, his tail twitching nervously, but otherwise able to maintain a calm demeanor.

Lilith hesitated. She had to admit this could have waited until the morning, but she had been rather desperate to see Valen since she came back. "Because I don't want to give you any reason not to trust me. I seem to remember that being a problem with us, the whole trust thing." She said quietly, still managing to not look at him.

"You must have figured out by now that I trust you. I gave up trying to hate you a while ago." Valen said softly, the faintest of smiles touching his lips. His eyes lingered on the aasimar for a long moment, wondering how it was that he had ever doubted her loyalties.

Lilith couldn't help the small laugh that left her. "And you tried so hard to hate me." The comment was greeted with the rich, enticing sound of Valen's beautiful laughter. Lilith looked up at him now, watched him laugh and watched the grin that had spread over his face.

It was a truly silly thing, how much she loved the man standing before her. The aasimar had barely know him a month, but in the time that she'd known him, life had suddenly become worth living. She loved spending time around him, loved everything about him from his sarcastic attitude to how he sang when he thought no one was listening. Lilith even loved how incredibly frustrating and depressing he could be.

She wasn't ready to tell him this, though. She wasn't sure if she ever would be.

"Well, I suppose I'll see you in the morning, then." Lilith said, and then moved forward.

Valen knew what she was going to do, knew that she was going to give him the chaste, friendly kiss on the cheek goodnight. He knew that soon he'd be able to smell the maddening blueberry scent of her and feel her petal soft lips against his skin, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself. The thought of her being close enough to him to touch, to be felt under his finger tips and held in his arms sent an unbearable heat coursing through his body.

The tiefling held out longer than he thought he would. He thought he'd grab her right away, but he managed to hold out until she had leaned up towards him. It was then that he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to his chest, swooping down to kiss her with a desperate, needful passion that had slowly been building in him over the weeks since they'd met.

Lilith had made a small sound of surprise when his rough fingers locked tightly around her bare arms, pulling her against his immaculate chest. The aasimar kissed him back, let him part her lips with his tongue and hungrily explore her depths while his arms slid around her possessively.

The feeling Valen felt when Lilith kissed back couldn't be put into words. It was a joy and yearning and want all rolled into some unintelligible mess that he desperately wanted more of. However, he had to break the kiss. He had to break it for a moment, no matter how much he didn't want to.

"Do you want me to stop?" Valen asked. Though he had pulled back, he hadn't pulled back very far. In fact, when he spoke the words, his lips brushed against hers.

Lilith almost laughed, feeling better than she had in years. "If you hold back on me in the slightest, Shadowbreath, I will be very upset."

Valen grinned as she spoke, then stole her lips again. As if to reply to her comment, he took hold of the collar of her nightgown, and tore it from her small form.

Lilith was suddenly very aware that she was naked, and the idea that Valen had ripped her clothes from her body sent scorching waves of excitement the likes of which she had never felt before through her being. It stiffened her nipples and made her quiver with anticipation even before Valen's hands started moving over her body, intent on memorizing her curves.

Even the memory of their first kiss couldn't prepare Valen for how amazing the aasimar felt against him. She smelled even better than he remembered, and her skin under his touch felt like it was on fire. His hands played over her body, desperate to feel the curve or her breasts, the planes of her back, and every other bit of her.

The tiefling had been to Hell, or something like it. He had seen all the worst of what the multiverse had to offer. Never had he imagined that there was a Heaven, or that it would ever be held tight in his arms, kissing him with an intensity that made his head spin and his vision blur.

Lilith laid her hands on the tiefling's broad shoulders, pulling herself up and locking her legs around his waist as she pressed herself tightly against him. Valen could feel vividly her hard, pink nipples pressed against his chest, and the warm spot between her legs against his stomach. A deep growl of smoldering desire emanated from the tiefling's throat. One arm locked around Lilith's waist to help support her, but the other he pressed up her back until he tangled a hand in her beautiful hair and forced her mouth closer to his.

This had gone beyond a simple want, now. He needed to feel her skin against his. He needed to hear her cry out under his touch. He needed to taste her, and imprint upon his mind that taste and the intoxicating scent that went along with it. He needed her to know he felt all this, and he needed to know she felt the same way.

Of course, Lilith felt the same way. There was no way she couldn't feel the same way he did. She'd never wanted someone more than she wanted the tiefling. It was rare that she let a man touch her like this. Most men seemed crude, or even disgusting. Valen, though... Valen had a wonderful, unconscious grace to him that couldn't be explained. He wasn't like other men. He was BETTER than other men.

Lilith sank her teeth into his lower lip, her eyes flashing and her breath coming rapidly. "Lose the pants. Now." She commanded fiercely, tightening the grip her legs had around his waist. Her thighs were on fire, and her breath was coming so rapidly she was amazed she had been able to keep kissing him. Breathing didn't seem to matter anymore. She needed his kiss more than she needed air.

Valen had laughed in response, kissing her again as he turned towards the bed and forcefully pulled her from him and threw her down onto the bed. Lilith was startled, resentful of having to let go of him for even a moment. That all disappeared, though, when Valen started to loosen his pants.

A wonderful thrill ran down Lilith's spine as she watched the tiefling shed his last bit of clothing. She took a long, shuddering breath as her eyes trained on the already hardened length of him. "You could have warned me." She said with an impish grin as she indicated him.

Valen couldn't stop the laughter. "You never asked." He pointed out as he slipped onto the bed, above her, lowering his lips to the flawless skin of one perfectly formed small breast.

"Remind me for next time." She gasped, her back arching as he sank his teeth into her tender flesh. Valen toyed with the soft, sensitive skin, biting her and teasing the nipple with his tongue. Lilith was writhing beneath him, leaning into the tiefling's touch and letting out the most amazing sounds he'd ever heard. He had to hear more of those sounds. Simply had to. A hand trailed down the aasimar's stomach to the place where her legs met. Already she was warm, moist, and so blessedly inviting that he shivered. He'd made her cry out when he touched her, and the arousal that was coursing through her was all too evident in the way her muscles tensed as she spread her legs for him compellingly.

She wanted him more than she'd ever wanted anyone else in her life, and he knew it. The tiefling also knew that she needed this, perhaps more than he did, and didn't want to rush things. He slowly trailed his lips down over her stomach, kissing and licking the skin as he went. Lilith's cries grew louder and more desperate the lower he went.

She knew where he was headed, and the thought of it combined with the sensations running through her was making her lose her mind. She was scared of what would happen if he kept going, but at the same time knew that horrible things would happen if he stopped.

As Valen moved lower he shifted her legs so that they rested on his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her hips tightly to keep her in place, hesitating momentarily to marvel in the amazing smell of her and to remind himself that the situation wasn't a dream, that it was actually happening. Then slowly, tentatively, he began to kiss her hot folds, and run his tongue over her more sensitive bits of flesh.

Immediately Valen was glad that he chose to hold down her hips. As soon as he set to work her back arched sharply, her shoulder's almost leaving the bed and she started to squirm about. The tiefling paid close attention to the beautiful, stunning moans that were coming from deep within the aasimar's throat, quickly identifying the spots that got him the best responses. He was quickly losing himself in those sounds coming from Lilith, and the inexplicably wonderful taste of her. The tiefling couldn't help but think that it shouldn't be possible for a person to taste this amazing. That one person shouldn't be this intoxicating.

Knowing that he was causing her this level of joy was probably more arousing than the actual act of making love. Valen knew he could cause pain, but the aasimar was now begging for him to continue as he worked her masterfully with his tongue. He'd never imagined he could cause another person this level of pleasure.

Valen stopped suddenly, Lilith crying out in protest. His own arousal was growing painful, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could control himself.

"Gods... no! Don't stop. For the love of god, don't stop." Lilith cried, struggling in his firm grasp.

Valen couldn't help but smirk as he kissed her inner thigh and then prowled back up her body. "Now what fun would this be if I didn't make you wait a bit?" Valen growled against her throat, nuzzling her and biting at her skin before bringing his mouth to hers once more for another searing kiss.

Lilith could taste herself on him as his lips assaulted hers once more. That was it. This was all getting to be too much for her. The aasimar tangled her fingers in his beautiful crimson locks as she slowly pressed a leg up against him. If he was going to toy with her, she sure as hell could toy with him.

Her efforts were rewarded with deep growls of pleasure as Valen's nails involuntarily dug into her skin. She kept moving her leg against him, the sounds from him becoming fiercer and more intense. Finally it got to the point where he had to pull his lips from hers to gasp for breath, his forehead pressed against her shoulder and his body trembling.

"Now, damn you. I need you now." Lilith whispered feverously, sinking her teeth into one of his pointed ears and trailing her finger tips over the muscles of his torso. "Gods... do you enjoy tormenting me? We've already waited too long to do this..."

Valen knew she was right, felt it with every fiber of his being. He should have been smart enough to discard his suspicions when they first met and swept her into his arms. He should have kissed her with all the passion he felt now instead of questioning her loyalties. There was time now to make up for everything, though, time to make up for the way he had treated her before.

Valen kissed her, long and sweetly this time, trying to express everything he didn't know how to say to her before he took a deep, shuddering breath of anticipation.

The tiefling began to guide himself into the aasimar, moving carefully to allow her time to adjust to him as the most exquisite sound poured forth from her.

"Yes... oh gods, yes." Lilith managed between gasps, struggling for breath. She wasn't used to accommodating someone his size. Hell, she wasn't used to men in general. But he felt too good between her legs to tell him to stop, even though she wasn't sure how much she could physically take.

Valen kept going, pressing further and further into her until he was completely buried in her, his head bowed and his breathing heavy as her warm walls closed around him. He had never felt such a warm, wonderful sensation. It was intoxicating, addictive even, and he desperately wanted it to last.

The aasimar's nails dug into the tiefling's back as he began to move in her. Instinctively her hips followed his rhythm, slow at first but building speed and force.

Valen had to use every bit of self-control he had to keep from rushing. No matter how good she felt around him, he needed to make this last. He'd started slow, trailing kisses over the skin of her delicious neck and toying with her breasts. Then Valen started to quicken his thrusts as unbridled desire over took his body and mind.

The aasimar buried her face in his neck to muffle her cries, sinking her teeth into his flesh and urging him onward. She was chanting his name like it was sacred, her cries so loud he was positive that the whole public house could hear them.

Valen didn't care if people heard them, though. He loved those sounds.

Lilith was begging beneath him once more. At some point Valen's tail had wrapped itself tightly around her waist, leaving his hands free to roam her body and tease her flesh as he pounded into her. Her breath was short, her eye lids fluttering, and she couldn't form a coherent thought to save her life. All that mattered was that the sensations continue, and that she never had to part from the dear man that was causing her such feelings.

There were times when Valen slowed his thrusts, intent on drawing out her pleasure, and there were times when he moved with such ferocity that she thought she would lose herself completely. Finally, FINALLY, though, she felt everything come to one exquisite, perfect moment where she was screaming his name at the top of her lungs and her body pulsed with a sensation so wonderful it couldn't be described.

"That's it. That's my girl." Valen growled in her ear as he quickened his thrusts further. His arms locked tightly around her, closing what little distance had remained between their bodies. His breath was coming quick and shallow, and when release finally came to him he cried out loudly, burying his face in her neck and drinking in the delicious scent of her.

Neither one of them was sure how long it was before they had the strength to move again, but it was hours before they fell sleep. They spent the night in each other's arms talking, laughing, making love, or just enjoying the other's presence.

Eventually, though, Lilith lay asleep in Valen's arms with his tail wound about her waist. Valen watched the steady rise and fall of her chest, never having known her to sleep so soundly in all the time he'd known her. The nightmares, the ones she could never remember, had been one of the things she'd told him about as they'd lain in his bed. The level of trust she had in him must have been extraordinary if she felt safe to the point where the nightmares couldn't reach her while she slept curled up against him.

The thought made an amazing affection flood through Valen, and he tightened his grip on the aasimar as he settled in closer next to her. The tiefling kissed Lilith while she slept, and was glad that she didn't wake up since he didn't think he could say what he said next if she was awake.

"I love you, my lady."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Valen woke slowly, keeping his eyes closed as he tried to preserve the drowsy, contented feeling that had settled over him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so warm, if ever. It was amazing how perfectly happy he felt, and had no doubt it had something to do with the small woman who was sleeping with her head on his chest. The tiefling had one arm wrapped around her, his free hand resting in her hair. Naturally his tail was still possessively wrapped around her waist in a clear statement of 'mine'.

Yes… his…

Was she, though? Valen opened his eyes and gazed down at Lilith. She was sleeping peacefully, curled up against him with a small smile on her lips. She was easily the most beautiful woman he'd ever met, despite what she would say. He'd been right earlier on when he'd compared her to a porcelain figurine. She was delicate, fragile, and he had a feeling that she'd been shattered and put back together so many times that there was little left of who she originally was. Despite this, though, there was a passion and a drive to her that seemed to fuel her and keep her going. When something was wrong she did all she could to set it right. It was as if she wanted to protect everyone from anything that might try to hurt them.

Yes, she was stronger than she looked, but she had been hurt recently. She had been shattered once again and he had tried desperately to fit her pieces back together. Then the porcelain angel had come to him the previous night, in the wake of all that happened, and in a moment of weakness the tiefling had given in and let loose all he had been feeling.

Lilith had given in too, wanted everything he had wanted, but Valen couldn't help the guilt that was slowly edging into his mind. She was still hurt and vulnerable. This brought up questions that started to turn his stomach and make him feel ill. Had he taken advantage of her? When she kissed him, was it because she had feelings for him or because she needed comfort?

Valen didn't want to ask himself these questions. He wanted to preserve the feeling of happiness and warmth he had felt when he what woken up. He wanted to enjoy the feel of the aasimar's silken hair on his chest and between his fingers for as long as he could before she woke up. He wanted this to be real, and he didn't want this to be the last time he held her in his arms.

Slowly the tiefling unwound his tail from her waist, giving a sigh. He'd over thought things and now the feeling of happiness was gone.

"Put the tail back." Lilith yawned as she nuzzled in against his chest. 

Valen gave a bit of a start, having believed her asleep. "How long have you been awake for?" He asked. However, he complied and put his tail back around her waist, unable to prevent a smile.

"Woke up around the time you started staring at me." She said with a grin, kissing his chest before looking up at him. "Enjoying the view?"

Valen smiled as he looked down at her, unable to prevent the sudden rush of love and adoration he felt for the woman, despite whatever questions he had. "Oh yes." He said quietly, running his fingers through her hair. "Very much so."

His grip on her tightened as he tried to chase all the thoughts and questions that had been cropping up from his mind. He just wanted to love her, he didn't want to try and find fault with what had happened. It had been a beautiful night, and he'd come to know her and her body so well… he didn't want to ruin things.

"Is something the matter, Valen?"

Lilith's voice, quiet though it was, brought Valen back to reality. She was looking up at him, a concerned look written in her eyes. 

"Everything's fine, I promise." The tiefling said, shaking his head and trying to chase all the stupid thoughts from his mind again.

"Okay, if you promise." Lilith said, though she didn't sound convinced. 

Valen wanted to say something more, to try and let her know things really were okay. That things were better than they had been in a long time. Unfortunately, things rarely went Valen's way.

A sharp knock sounded on the door, causing both the aasimar and the tiefling to jump, followed by the voice of a messenger.

"Sir! It's the Valsharess; her armies are advancing on us now."

´   
_  
__It was so cold, something she had never felt before. Normally the cold didn't touch her, but this was different. This was unnatural and cut right through to the bone. She didn't know where she was. Her senses seemed to be dead and no air filled her lungs. ___

_Something had happened... something bad... ___

_There had been a battle, the air thick with blood, smoke, and death. So many had fallen and been lost in the fighting, but not her beloved tiefling. No, her beautiful warrior who had seemed so distant when they dressed and made ready for war had stood tall amidst the bloodshed. He'd carved a path through the enemy and it seemed as if no one could do him harm. Though he'd seemed uneasy and nervous in the morning, he had obviously been keeping an eye on her on the battlefield. She'd have fallen a thousand times over if he hadn't been there for her, she was sure of it. ___

_She'd still fallen, though, hadn't she? ___

_The memory came rushing back to her. The Valsharess, dead, and Mephistopheles explaining some plan of his, that they'd all been a part of. He'd advanced on her, reached for her... ___

_And then only pain. Was she dead? ___

_"Sort of. It's more like a transition period. It's taking a little longer than it should, but that's only because I wanted to talk to you." ___

_The voice was sweet and girlish, holding no sounds of hostilities. It seemed to be in her mind, and yet all around her at the same time. All she felt was confusion, and this was met with joyful giggles. ___

_"Well don't be confused! Oh, this would be so much easier if you could see me. You might remember me and... Oh the stupid rules. That's why you can't see me yet." ___

_Remember? Remember what? And what rules? She had a million questions, and wanted to demand answers. ___

_"Gods, I KNOW! It's annoying as all get out. Things are never simple for us, are they? Even when we were little, before things got complicated... Ugh. Jack would never stand for this. He taught us that rules only came in handy when they served your needs, didn't he? Not that YOU bought into any of that, right? All that stuff about using the system to beat the system... you and Alis both. I never could follow along when you guys got into heated discussions." ___

_Who was this person? Who was she who spoke as if she knew her... why was she here? ___

_"Me? I'm someone you want to remember, but can't yet. And why am I here?" ___

_More delighted laughter sounded. The voice and laughter were starting to sound very familiar, as if she should defiantly be able to put a face to the voice. No matter how she tried, though, she couldn't find the face. Couldn't remember, no matter how hard she tried. ___

_"Well, sorry Lil. No profound reason for a visit here. I just... I missed you. Things are complicated. Aren't they always? And Tiana... Tiana said that it would be okay to come talk to you while you were dead, before you woke up again in that place the devil man is sending you." ___

_Tiana? Alis? Jack? Who were these people? Was she supposed to know them? It felt... it felt like she was supposed to know them. It was like everything she was supposed to know, everything she was supposed to remember was right there in front of her, but she couldn't reach out for it. ___

_"I know. It's frustrating. I'd be chomping at the bit and screaming bloody murder about things, demanding my memories back, if it were me. You, you took after Mom, though. Always calm, with a plan and no reason to panic. Everything in stride, right? You could be so frustrating. Calm and smug... the eternal big sister, helping look after all of us." ___

_Mom... the eternal big sister... Lucy. ___

_Lucy. ___

_"Ah geez, I've been here too long! Look... I gotta go, and you gotta wake up. I'm sorry I can't be more help, and I'm sorry I can't answer any questions, but... but I'm close, okay? And everything will make sense eventually. I promise. Just... oh, Lilith! Just don't do anything stupid. I love you, so please stay safe." ___

_The voice was gone, then. Gone as quickly as it had come, and she was alone in the void again. ___

_Suddenly she felt a tugging on her and a then a strong pull. She was being drawn somewhere rather quickly. It seemed she would have to wait to figure out what had just happened, and whatever questions she had would have to go unanswered._

´ 

There was a rush and a howl of wind around Lilith as she became aware of her body once more. She was in a daze, for the moment, collapsed on some cold ground and coughing as she gasped for breath now that her lungs functioned again.

It took a few moments to realize the she was in the Reaper's Realm. The questions she had about her dream or… or whatever it had been had been pushed aside for the time being as she questioned the Reaper on what had happened.

Yes, she was dead. Mephistopheles had killed her, that much she had figured out on her own. Where was she, though? What had happened to everyone else?

Cania. Oh goody, what a fun little romp this would be. She wasn't about to claim she was an expert on the planes, but she had a feeling that a celestial in the Hells was not a good thing.

Yes… she understood all that. But what about the others? What about her companions? What about… what about Valen?

"Dead?" The word sounded hollow in Lilith's ears, and the world span. She felt faint, her legs suddenly refusing to work as she fell to the ground. No. No, they couldn't be dead. He couldn't be dead!

The aasimar couldn't even cry at this point, though she felt incredibly sick and her vision had completely blurred. Valen had been right; she'd been the death of them all. If she had just left like she knew she should have then they'd all still be alive. Mephistopheles wouldn't have been able to trade places with her and they wouldn't have been hurt. Valen would still be alive.

But oh… she'd wanted to be around him so badly. Lilith had been selfish in staying, and it had gotten them all killed in the end. She'd just wanted to be around the tiefling, to enjoy his presence and maybe… maybe just pretend a little bit. Pretend that maybe he loved her and…

No. That was gone now. He was gone now. She knew it couldn't last. Nothing so good ever lasted long. She just wished it hadn't ended so badly.

"It is… but a transitory state, though."

The Reaper's voice, calm and collected, pierced through her stupor and gave her some measure of sense. Lilith's eyes slowly moved and trained on the specter's mirror of a face.

"You could call them, my companions? You could… bring them here?" Lilith asked, struggling to remember how to speak and to make the world come into focus.

The Reaper nodded. "If they agree to come, then I can bring them here." 

Lilith's head swam again, forcing her to close her eyes. Not all was lost, then. She could call Valen, she could have him brought to the Reaper's Realm and everything would be okay again. Valen would be there and maybe, just maybe things wouldn't look so hopeless. 

What if he didn't want to come, though?

Lilith's eyes opened. What if he didn't want to come? Why would he, after all? He'd seemed so… distant when they'd woken up. Like something was wrong. Had he regretted what happened? The thought made Lilith ill, but it was a definite possibility. After all, why in the world would he be interested in her? She had no ass, her breasts were too small, she wasn't remotely attractive, she was whiney, needy, and constantly getting down on herself. What was there to love?

She had felt such a strong connection to him that night, though. It had felt like a part of her that was missing had been returned to her, and that life wasn't as bleak and hopeless as she had first thought. The scent of him and the feel of his body against hers was still imprinted on her mind, as if he was still with her now. It was hard to tell what part her insecurities were playing in her suspicions, and what was actual concern.

Lilith gathered herself, coming to her feet now. She couldn't let her insecurities eat away at her like this; she had to be in control. The aasimar wasn't ready to summon Valen forth, though. She couldn't face him just yet, couldn't risk finding out if her bleaker side was right.

"Please, Reaper, call Deekin for me."

´ 

"Lilith?" Valen sputtered her name as he fell to the ground, his lungs filling with air suddenly and his body feeling strange to him now that it was his again. The tiefling hadn't believed it at first when he'd felt the Reaper call him. Lilith had been dead. Valen had seen her broken, bloody form on the floor of the Valsharess' temple.

It had almost seemed too good to be true when the Reaper told him she was calling for him.

"Boss! Boss, it be the goat man. Goat man be okay."

Valen blinked, struggling up as he tried to gain awareness of his surroundings. Lilith, in all her beautiful glory was standing not far from him. Her features were neutral, though, and she stood so still that she seemed a statue. Deekin was jumping about around her, though, seemingly very excited. Valen felt his heart sink and his stomach churn. It was stupid, but…

Why hadn't she called him first?

Lilith wasn't sure how to respond to Valen's appearance. She supposed she was still in shock. He had been dead a few moments ago, and now… here he was. Despite her insecurities, he had come when she had called for him. She didn't know how to respond to that, and wasn't sure what it meant. There was no way she could get her mind around the fact that he was here before her. The aasimar opened her mouth several times, trying to find words, but none came.

"Are you… are you okay?" Valen asked as he took a step closer to Lilith. It was strange to see her whole and safe before him when just a little while ago he had seen her…

The tiefling pushed the thought of what she'd looked like dead from his mind. He didn't want to remember her like that. He wanted to go over to her, look over every inch of her and make sure she wasn't hurt. He wanted to pull her close and hold onto her so tightly that nothing could ever pry her from him again.

Something stopped the tiefling from doing that, though. It was a stupid thing, but why hadn't she called him first? If it had been him, he would have called for her as quickly as possible. He wouldn't want to be apart from her a moment longer than necessary. Hell, he'd half torn apart the Valsharess' keep looking for her.

Lilith looked away from Valen. "In… in shock, I suppose. Deekin seems to be taking things better than I am. So much death." Lilith shuddered, finally finding the words with which to speak.

"It not be Boss' fault people died." Deekin said, tugging on Lilith's robes. "Boss not be upset, okay?"

"It doesn't matter who's fault this all was." Lilith said quietly. "People are dead. Lots of people… there's still time to right things, however. I refuse to weep for people who may not yet be dead." The aasimar needed to remind herself of this, that all was not lost yet. So much had been thrown at her recently, though. It was all just so hard to process. She looked back to Valen now, trying desperately not to think about how he had been dead just a few moments ago. "I won't be doing anything stupid this time. Promise. How are you holding up? You… you aren't hurt, are you?" Lilith voice wavered as she spoke. She wanted to ask him how he'd died, but knew she shouldn't. The aasimar was starting to tremble now, though she refused to cry. There was no time for that.

Valen couldn't help but be a little relieved when she said she wasn't going to do anything stupid. At least that meant she had a good grip on herself. It was natural she be in shock. He himself was having trouble processing all of what had happened. "Don't worry about me. I've seen worse than this." The tiefling said as he shook his head.

It took all his courage, but he finally managed to go over to the aasimar. She was shaking slightly, and all Valen wanted to do was reach out for her and hold her close. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair and telling her everything was alright… that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her ever again.

When Valen reached out for her, though, Lilith pulled away.

No. If he held her now, if she felt his arms around her… if… if she thought about how he had been dead, and how he had still come back to her… Lilith would break down crying if he held her. She couldn't start crying now. If she started crying, she wouldn't able to stop. She cried too much as it was.

"I'm… I'm going to step outside and see where we are exactly." Lilith said, shrinking back and looking away from Valen.

Valen had felt a horrible mix of pain and disappointment when she pulled away from him. Maybe he had been right. Maybe she didn't feel anything for him after all. The thought made him feel ill. He hadn't wanted it to be true, but it was starting to seem an undeniable truth.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, my lady?" Valen asked, though his mouth was dry and it took a great deal of effort to speak. "Perhaps I should come with you?" Despite everything, his instinct to protect her was still strong. He had a bad feeling about whatever lay beyond the misty door at the far side of the room.

"I'll take Deekin with me." Lilith said.

"Boss sure? Goat man be stronger than little Deekin. Deekin will gladly follow the Boss anywheres, though." Deekin said cheerfully, apparently oblivious to the tension in the room.

Lilith glared at Deekin, but Valen nodded. "For once, my lady, the kobold makes a valid point. Though… if you would rather do without my company—"

"No!" Lilith didn't let Valen finish, looking up at him now with wide eyes. She couldn't stand looking at him for long, though. She'd hurt him, she could see it in his eyes. The aasimar couldn't stand thinking that she'd managed to hurt him. "If… if you want to come see what's out there, there's nothing stopping you." 

Valen nodded, but didn't say anything. It was something at least. He could still hope that she was simply having trouble dealing with everything, that soon she would snap out of her state and everything would be okay again.

This hope was utterly destroyed, though, when the two of them stepped outside.

It was cold. Brutally cold. Not even the cold Lilith had felt when dead could prepare her for this. The icy wind and howling snow cut through the aasimar's natural defenses. This wasn't a natural cold, she was helpless against it.

Lilith gripped herself tightly. Her robes were made of sturdy material, but there were light to allow movement. She'd never had to worry about protection from cold before.

When the aasimar's knee's buckled, Valen caught her. He had been shocked by their location, recognizing it as one of the Nine Hells, but he hadn't forgotten about Lilith. He wasn't surprised that the cold of Cania was able to reach her. It was an unnatural cold that struck at more than just the body, but the mind and heart as well.

Lilith would have been shaking even if she wasn't so horribly cold. Valen had caught her about the waist and shoulders to stop her from falling, and kept her up now. He hadn't seemed quite so real before he'd touched her, but now… Now he really WAS here. He'd died and come back and… it was idiotic, really, but it was all so hard to believe.

"We should go back inside, my lady." Valen said, steadying her and looking at her with concern.

"No, not yet. Please, not yet." Lilith said quietly. She was being so stupid about all of this. "Just… just stay here with me a minute, please?" The tears were coming now, hot and bitter against her cold cheeks. She didn't want to cry, but she couldn't help it. Lord, she hated herself. Why couldn't she just pull herself together? 

Valen felt like his heart was being ripped in two when he saw Lilith's tears. He pulled her close, one arm tight around her while the other pushed her tears away. She never should have been made to cry, and he wished with all his heart that he had been able to spare her whatever pain she was feeling. "Don't cry, my lady. Your tears will freeze. Please, Lilith, don't cry."

"I'm sorry, Valen!" Lilith cried, burying her face in Valen's chest. His armor was bitingly cold, but she didn't care. She needed to be close to him, she never wanted to be separated from him again. How she had ever lived without this beloved man was beyond her comprehension. She didn't want to imagine or remember her life without him. "If I had just left… if I hadn't been so selfish…" 

"Shh…" Valen held her tight to his chest, one hand on the back of her head. "It's all right, Lilith. Things would have happened this way even if you hadn't been with us."

"But you died, Valen!" Lilith mewled. "You died… and if I had just left, if I had just listened to you earlier on and left, then Mephistopheles wouldn't be loose on Toril. I could have handled the geas… but oh, Valen, I'm sorry." Lilith shook her head. Time to confess, time to tell him everything that had been eating away at her. "I just wanted to be near you so badly. I just… I just… I couldn't bear to go, that's why I tried to after you were hurt by the golems. I'd… I'd kissed you while you were asleep, and I knew I… I knew I…" She struggled for breath through the tears, clenching her eyes closed and afraid to open them. "I didn't know if you'd come if I had the Reaper call you, I was so scared you wouldn't. If I'd just left, if I had just—"

It was Valen's turn to cut her off. He didn't need to hear anything else; she was just going to start tearing herself apart. So he shut her up the best way possible, by slipping his fingers under her chin and lifting up her face so he could kiss her. Lilith didn't protest, didn't struggle or pull away. In fact, she grew still in his arms, giving in to the tender affection he offered her now. 

She'd been scared he wouldn't come back to her. That was why she hadn't called him first. The aasimar did care for him after all, and he was kicking himself sharply for ever having doubted that. Her tears had stopped, and Valen removed his lips from hers only to kiss away the last of her tears from her cheeks.

"I would die a thousand times over if it meant one more day with you, Lilith." Valen said quietly, gazing deeply into her eyes. She was staring up at him, half confused and half in awe. The tiefling needed to press on. If he stopped speaking, he would lose his nerve. Already his heart was beating violently in his chest. "Gods… how could I have not come when you asked for me? How could I be apart from you? Gods, Lilith… beautiful Lilith… precious Lilith…"

Valen had nuzzled Lilith's cheek before kissing her once again. Had the aasimar not been in Cania, had the brutal wind not been attacking her skin and piercing her bones, she would have sworn she was on fire. The tears were coming again, but they were different now.

This couldn't actually be happening, could it? Oh gods… he couldn't… he couldn't possibly… it would be too much to hope for, and yet… 

Valen had broken the kiss, brushing her tears away once again. "Have you any idea how much I love you?" The hand that the tiefling held to Lilith's cheek was trembling. He wanted so badly to kiss her again, but she had to know. She had to know all of it. "Do I even have to tell you that after you disappeared I tore apart that keep looking for you? That when I found you…" He took a deep breath, trying hard to keep his bearings in the face of that horrible memory. "That when I found you dead, when I saw what Mephistopheles had done to you... I don't often cry, my love, and I had never felt a helpless fury of that kind. Gods… oh gods, beloved Lilith…" He kissed her again, his grip on her tightening. He'd wanted to protect her so badly, and he was never going to let anything bad happen to her ever again. This kiss was his promise to her. That he would love her, that he would keep her safe, and that he would never, ever desert her. "Gods, Lilith." The tiefling relinquished her lips, gasping for breath. "I love you, Lilith. I love you more than I could ever hope to say. I love you with all my heart and soul, and so long as you will have me I will never leave your side."

Lilith felt faint, and would likely have collapsed if Valen hadn't been holding her so close. He'd said it, said the thing she'd never thought she'd hear. This was too wonderful, too perfect. She'd have thought it was a dream, but her dreams were never this good. He actually loved her. It was more than she could ever hope to understand.

"I love you too, Valen. Oh, how I ever love you." The aasimar finally managed to say. Her heart was threatening to break loose from her chest, and she felt her knee's give way as Valen offered the most amazing grin she'd ever seen. "And we have been SO stupid about this."

Valen couldn't help but laugh, setting his forehead against hers. "I whole heartedly agree. But I promise that never again will I be so. I'm yours, all of me, if you'll have me."

Lilith grinned. Gods, everything had gone from horrible to perfect in so short a time it was unbelievable. "Just kiss me, my love. Stop talking and kiss me."

The cold of Cania couldn't touch them as they stood wrapped in each others arms. Neither of them had ever felt the kind of warmth they felt now, and it seemed to drive away whatever worries or troubles had persisted before. They stood, angel and demon, trapped in the Hells and lost in one another. No matter the dangers to come, no matter the challenge, they would face it together.

Mephistopheles didn't stand a chance.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

"Even though I'm needy and insecure?"

"Yes." 

"Even though I'm mousy and short?"

"I happen to think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes upon."

"Even… even though I have to keep everything clean and orderly and start twitching if something is out of place?"

"Actually, I love you in spite of that."

"You awful man!" Lilith burst out into giggles as she lightly beat her fists against Valen's armor.

Valen couldn't help but laugh as he pretended to fend her off. He ended up wrapping an arm tight around her waist and pulling her close so he could kiss her on the nose.

The aasimar and the tiefling were still standing at the entrance to the Reaper's Realm, doing what they could to steal a few moments alone together before rejoining Deekin inside. Of course, standing outside in the cold meant that they had to keep close together, especially since Lilith was wearing very light clothes.

It was a hardship they were willing to endure.

Lilith sighed, snuggling against Valen's chest. "Your timing is awful, you know that? Now all I want to do is be near you, but we have an arch-devil to take down. You just had to go and be sweet and confess everything like that."

A smirk spread over Valen's face as he started running a hand through Lilith's hair. "I'd apologize, but I wouldn't mean it." 

"Well, maybe you SHOULD lie. Then I'd have to punish you." She purred as she languidly stroked his tail.

Valen felt a wonderful shiver run through him and he leaned in so that his lips were a hairbreadth away from the sorcerer's. "Maybe I should at that…"

Valen was intent on kissing Lilith so passionately her knees would buckle. 

The multiverse was intent on stopping him.

"BOSS!" Deekin burst out of the Reaper's Realm, grinning from ear to ear. He looked like he was about to say something when he noticed what Valen and Lilith were doing. Deekin cocked his head to one side and observed the pair. "Why Boss be looking at goat-man like he be made of chocolate? And why goat-man be looking at Boss like he's going to eat her face?"

Valen and Lilith pulled apart quickly, blushing fiercely and fumbling for explanations.

"Um… well, it was cold… and… and…" Lilith began.

"And to stop from freezing to death we had to stay close." Valen added quickly.

"Right! Because it was cold!"

"Why Boss and goat-man not come inside then?" Deekin asked curiously. 

"Uh…" Lilith struggled for a response. "Because our feet have frozen to the ground and we are unable to move."

"Oh. Deekin thinks that make sense." The kobold said as he scratched his head.

Lilith and Valen sighed with relief.

"Was there something you needed, kobold?" Valen asked, more thank a little annoyed with Deekin's timing.

"Oh!" Deekin jumped like he had just remembered something vitally important, and then went back to grinning. "Deekin have VERY good news for Boss, and AWFUL news for goat-man!"

Lilith looked to Valen questioningly. Valen shrugged back.

"What do you mean, Deekin?" Lilith asked the kobold, curious now as to what had happened.

"Come see, Boss!" Deekin grabbed Lilith's hand and dragged her back into the Reaper's Realm. Lilith, in turn, grabbed Valen's hand and smiled at him over her shoulder as if to say 'How bad could it be?'

Apparently it could be very bad. For Valen, anyway.

No sooner had they re-entered the Reaper's Realm than they were greeted by squeals of delight.

"LILITH! ANGLING!" Lilith was immediately swept into the arms of a woman dressed in black clothes lined in rabbits fur and was kissed quickly all over her face.

"C-Coleta?" Lilith blinked, trying to get a good look at her assailant between the kisses.

"Surprise!" Coleta said with a grin, letting go of Lilith.

Valen stared at the woman, unsure of how he felt about this or what to do. Apparently this was the infamous Coleta whom Lilith used to sleep with. He was positive he didn't like that. On the other hand she WAS Lilith's friend, and Valen didn't want Lilith thinking he was an over protective jerk so early in their relationship.

Wait. She already knew he could be over protective.

That made things simpler.

"Care to introduce me to your 'friend', my love?" Valen wrapped an arm around Lilith and pulled her to his chest and away from Coleta. He tried to sound and look as casual as possible, but somehow he knew he was failing horribly.

"Oh, ah…" Lilith hesitated, settling back against Valen. She had hoped this moment would never come. That some how her ex-lover and her current lover would never meet and she could be spared all the awkwardness that came with the situation. "Um, Valen, this is Coleta. Coleta, this is--"

"Oh. My. Gods." Coleta cut Lilith off, staring at the aasimar and the tiefling. "This is Valen?" She asked, eyes wide. "This chiseled god of a man is the tiefling you're doing?"

"COLETA!" Lilith turned several shades of red and looked mortified.

"Well you have slept with him, haven't you?" Coleta asked innocently. "Yes, I'm POSITIVE you've gotten his clothes off."

"Oh gods. This is Hell. This really is Hell." Lilith mewled, covering her face.

Valen's eyes narrowed on the necromancer. "Stop bothering Lilith. Now." The tiefling began to growl. He already hated this woman and couldn't fathom how Lilith called her 'friend.'

"Oh, sweetling! I'm not bothering her." Coleta said.

"Sweetling?" Valen arched a brow.

"Well, you ARE rather yummy looking." Coleta chirped.

Valen blushed. Lilith giggled.

"Coleta can just be… a little overwhelming sometimes. Personality wise." Lilith said with a small smile. "She takes some getting used to." 

"I'm all talk." Coleta sang, and then set her pack down so she could rummage through it. "Now, I've brought you some warmer clothing, angling, since you'll need them. And we better get a plan started so we can make good time, and—"

"Um… Coleta? Start from the beginning." Lilith sighed. "Why are you here?"

"Oh! I forgot that part." Coleta giggled as she straightened up. "We're coming with your little group to stop that big nasty devil." 

"'We?'" Valen didn't like where this was going.

Coleta nodded, grinning. "Yes! Myself and, you won't believe this—" 

"Me." 

How Lilith and Valen hadn't noticed the man who spoke before was a mystery. He must have just appeared.

He was there, though, and Lilith was having trouble believing her eyes. The man was slim, obviously faster than he was strong, with pale skin that was colored with a slight red from the scales that seemingly ran all down his sides, from temples to ankles. His hair was short and a faded blonde that matched the faded green of his reptilian eyes. His draconic traits were made all the more apparent by the red scaled wings he held close to his body. This was a man who had a lot of dragon blood in his veins.

This was a man Lilith knew.

"I-Illa?" The word fell from Lilith's lips slowly, her eyes wide and locked on the man who was now smiling just a little.

"Miss me?" The man said as he stretched.

"How is this even possible?" Valen was in shock. The pseudo-dragon had said he didn't have a soul, when he died he should have just ceased to exist. So how was it that he was standing here before them? 

Coleta started to giggle and dance around. "I had just come to Cania for a vacation! I wasn't expecting this at all. Illa showed up and explained that you would be here and would need our help, so…" Coleta stuck a pose. "Here we are!"

"Deekin say it be good news for Boss, and bad news for goat-man!" Deekin said as Coleta snatched his hands and began dancing about again. 

Lilith was finding it hard to formulate thoughts. "How…? You knew I was going to die? How is it you're even here?" She was trembling now, and grateful that Valen tightened his grip on her to keep her steady. 

"I too would like these questions answered." Valen had his eyes trained on the man who was apparently Illa. The tiefling wasn't sure he trusted him. The planes could play tricks on you, especially the Hells. They sought out your weaknesses and did all they could to tear your asunder.

But if this was Illa…

"Ah, questions. I have to admit I have a few myself." Illa mused, crossing his arms and humming a little. "Mainly pertaining to why Betty there has her arms to tightly wrapped around my charge, and if dear Betty has been treating her well. I think I can draw my own conclusions, though.

"As for my being here?" Illa's wings slumped and he looked a little unsure of himself for the first time in his snarky existence. "There's a lot I can't explain yet."

"You expect us to believe that?" Valen snapped, his tail lashing the air as he scrutinized the man. That was too easy and explanation. He wasn't going to trust this apparent Illa and what he said so easily, not if there was a chance Lilith could get hurt.

"Oh will you shut it, Betty?" Illa said, glaring at the tiefling. "For the love of whatever gods may be, haven't we heard all this before? I seem to recall you not trusting Lilith at all. Will you PLEASE get a new act?"

Valen blushed in embarrassment and started to growl. "That was completely different."

"Please stop it, you two." Lilith said quietly, shrinking back against Valen's chest.

Valen gave a start, instantly feeling ashamed of himself. He should have known that this couldn't have been easy for Lilith, and that he was only making things worse.

"I'm sorry, my love." Valen murmured, nuzzling her cheek gently before kissing her.

"Indeed." Illa said easily.

Lilith closed her eyes, trying to sort everything out. "I'm still confused. I thought you didn't have a soul, Illa. How is it that you're here? And… and aren't you supposed to be much shorter with a lot more scales?"

"I too would like an answer regarding that. You had led us to believe that once you died, you were forever gone." Valen said easily, trying not to sound too confrontational for Lilith's sake.

"Ah." Illa hesitated. "Well, for all intents and purposes, I told you the truth. My soul is not my own. I…" Illa stopped and gave a sigh, actually looking a little lost. "I cannot tell you more than that on that subject, at least for now. In truth I only really exist in the Hells."

Lilith furrowed her brow, still trying to figure things out. "So then how…?"

"How did I end up your familiar?" Illa finished for her. "As you can see I still bear a certain draconic resemblance, yes? My essence is manly dragon, and I was gifted, for a time, the form of a pseudo-dragon so that I could walk the prime material plane."

Valen observed Illa carefully. "You make it sound like you serve someone, like someone made you and then gave you your physical form. Are you in truth a slave, or is there even more to you than meets the eye?"

"I serve someone willingly. I cannot recall why or how I was made… it was so long ago and I do not know when I became able to form conscious thought. The person I serve now took me in and gave me purpose. They gave me a real life." Illa paused for a moment, seemingly lost inside himself and his memories. He continued quietly, distracted. "I was gifted the physical for so that I could watch over Lilith and try to keep her safe."

Lilith felt Valen tighten his grip on her, and she began to stroke one of her armored arms with the tips of her fingers reassuringly. "Someone wants me protected? Why?" Lilith asked. She hesitated, thinking back to when she was dead and the names she had remembered. "This… this has something to do with a woman named Tiana, doesn't it?"

Illa nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Yes, it does, though I cannot say what it has to do with that woman specifically, or who she is. I will simply say that a promise was made a long time ago, and that promise means your protection."

Valen was growling softly, growing more and more frustrated. "You know much more than you are willing to tell us. Why lie, why keep secrets?"

"Eh, you still don't get it yet?" Coleta had stopped dancing with Deekin, and now held the very content kobold tightly to her chest like a teddy bear. "Valikins, I thought you were smarter than that." She sighed.

Valen raised a brow. "Valikins?" He shook his head, focusing on his frustration and not Coleta's use of pet names. "If you're so clever, necromancer, why don't you explain it to us?"

Coleta grinned and rolled her eyes. "It all has to do with Lilith's memory. Scales over there can't say anything relating to his bosses that she hasn't remembered on her own."

"I hate you." Illa shot at Coleta, almost as an after thought.

"Is she telling the truth, Illa?" Lilith asked.

"Yes, in part." Illa said with a nod. "Though I myself have not been informed of your past, or who you were, I do know some things you knew. I'm not allowed to tell you anything because there's a reason why you haven't regained your memories yet. You aren't ready to remember. It may not be pretty if you're told something you aren't ready to handle yet."

Lilith looked to the ground, unsure of how to handle what she had been told or what it all meant. "I have… had a sister, didn't I? She's dead now… and this Tiana person is someone powerful. A demon, or a sorcerer, I'm guessing." She said, trying to piece a few things together.

At this Valen tightened his grip on Lilith once more and took a protective stance. He turned Lilith a little as he wrapped his tail around her waist and tilted her head up so she was looking at him. "No matter what, I'll be here for you. No matter who you were or what beings have an interest in you. Even if you never remember anything more than what you have, I will always be here."

Lilith's eyes were riveted on the tiefling's face as he spoke, and for a moment she was overwhelmed by the sheer depth of his love for her. She'd have doubted that Valen really existed if he hadn't been holding her so tightly. "I love you." She said quietly as she leaned up to gently kissed him, then nuzzled in against his neck.

Illa smiled just a little. "Tiana is benevolent, at least. I can assure you of this. I wouldn't serve her if she meant ill." Illa said in a tone that clearly said he wasn't lying. "She is the one who told me of your arrival in Cania, and where to find Coleta."

Coleta giggled a little. "You REALLY wanted to go through a land filled to the brim with dead people WITHOUT a necromancer?"

Deekin tried to push himself out from between Coleta's breasts as best he could. "Deekin be having trouble breathing, witch lady." He said.

"Oh hush. If you didn't want to be smothered by pretty women then you should stop being so cute." Coleta sang.

"No offence, but neither of you will receive a warm welcome in Cania and it was deemed a good idea for a friend or two to tag along with you two and the kobold." Illa said.

Valen had to admit this was true. Aside from the obvious problems Valen would have in the Hells, Lilith was going to stand out like a shining beacon of holiness in this evil land. The thought of the things devils, or even demons, did to celestials caught in the Hells or the Abyss made Valen shudder.

The tiefling had already seen what one devil had done to Lilith. He wouldn't let it happen again.

"We need to find the Reaper's true name so he can send us back to Toril." Lilith said, looking at Illa and Coleta with the side of her face that wasn't pressed tight against Valen.

"We NEED to get you into some warmer clothes." Coleta said, setting Deekin down. The necromancer seemed excited, like they were going on some massive 'for fun' road trip. "Come on! Celestial resistances won't help you in the Hells! I have some warm clothes you can borrow. It's black, and probably too big for you, but the black banishes negative energy and I can probably tie things together for you."

"Nothing low cut. Valen doesn't need the distraction." Lilith said gently nudging the now blushing demon.

Coleta laughed. "Come on! I want to hear all the gossip about your new lover, and I absolutely need to how much better he is than me." The necromancer grabbed a protesting Lilith by the hand and pulled her with her over to her pack with Deekin following close behind.

This left Illa and Valen watching each other, glaring at each other as if in a war for dominance. The tension between the two was nearly palatable, as if there was a strong mutual hatred just waiting to be released. It was only a few minutes before Valen spoke, but it had felt like hours since either of them had moved.

"If you so much as think about hurting her--" Valen started, his tone low and dangerous.

"--I'll make you beg for death." Illa finished in a hiss, his eyes narrowed.

They glared at each other for a few moments more before Illa briskly walked past Valen to step outside.


End file.
